Lost Hope
by PXLight
Summary: AU. Takes place after Chapter 3 in TC:UTK2. After an unexpected failed operation in Hope Hospital, Mercer takes Derek's depression to his advantage and persuades Derek to join the HOA in exchange of the recovery of Derek's Healing Touch. Almost done!
1. Tough Love

Dammit, what's happening to the patient?

"_Doctor, his vitals are critical! You've got to do something!"_

I-I don't know what to do! I—

"_The patient is going under cardiac arrest!"_

Get the defibrillator! Alright, charge it to 200! Clear!

"_We've got no pulse!"_

Quick, charge it up to 300! Clear!

"_There's still no response!"_

Let's try again! Clear!

"_Doctor! Stop it already!"_

No way! I'm not giving up on you! I will save you!

"_...There's nothing we can do from here..."_

NO! My Healing Touch—

"_Dr. Stiles!"_

I won't believe it!

"_Dr. Stiles!"_

* * *

The bewildered Derek yelped out in non-existent pain and fell off the couch. He ended up landing head-first on his head onto Hope Hospital's "famous" shiny floor. There was a satisfying thud as he fell, then the doctor crumpled into a ball clutching onto his head in pain. He sure as hell was going to feel that in the morning.

He uncurled and sat up, his back against the couch. As he rubbed his head in order to soothe out some of the pain, he looked up and realized that he wasn't the only one in the room. The Iron Vixen herself, Cybil Myers Kasal, was standing with a rather amused look on her face in front of Derek.

"Sorry for the rude awakening, Derek." Cybil was still chuckling to herself. Derek groaned and got up. He dusted himself off and fixed his posture.

"Do you need me for anything, Ms. Myers?" Derek couldn't get out of the habit of calling Cybil 'Ms. Myers' (her maiden name), but fortunately, Cybil insisted that he use whatever name or title he was used to when referring to her.

"Umm... yes. You're needed in the O.R."

"Now? I thought I was still on break!" Derek glanced over at the clock against the wall. He realized that it was 7:12 PM... 12 minutes into his shift. Cybil gave him an acknowledging glare and Derek chuckled a bit. "Hehe... looks like I dozed off a bit..." he replied sheepishly.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get your sorry ass over to the O.R. right away! A patient needs you!"

"Right away!" Derek then rushed to get cleaned up and prepare for the surgery.

* * *

Chapter One: Tough Love

As the doctor scrubbed up, he couldn't shake the events that had transpired in his dreams away from his mind. It had been just over a week since he had left Caduceus in hopes of regaining his Healing Touch, but so far, this rehabilitation process hasn't been working at all. In fact, it was as if this entire thing was just dragging him down.

He had been transferred to Hope Hospital, the place where everything had started. Director Hoffman hoped that his old mentors, Cybil Myers and Greg Kasal, would be able to help in the matter. The only thing is how were they supposed to understand what he had gone through? First, a patient died on his watch. He also realized that he had gotten cocky with the Healing Touch; he let it get to his head. Suddenly, the one ability that made him such an amazing doctor was suddenly stripped from him; in the middle of an important operation, no less.

Now he felt as though he had suddenly dropped back to square one, a feeling he had hoped he would never have to experience. To make things worse, even he could tell that he was emotionally off. He had begun to take antidepressant pills in order to counter the effects, but they only made him drowsy and caused him to fall into a deep sleep like one today, a sleep filled with nightmares of the events that had occurred that caused him to be in this state.

He sighed deeply to himself. "C'mon Stiles, shake it off! A patient needs you in there!" He hurried over, quickly placing the mask over his face and spraying anti-bacteria spray all over himself. Once he entered the room, Mary Fulton, a veteran nurse and a good friend of Derek, along with an anaesthesiologist and Greg Kasal who would be part of the conference and watch over Derek as he performed the operation (you know, in case he screwed up... then Greg would act as a back-up net) watched him and his movements carefully. They knew that this is only the fourth operation Derek has dealt with since his return to Hope Hospital and he was still rather rough around the edges with the procedures.

"—alright, you got it?" Mary asked after they discussed the procedures needed on the patient before them, a twenty-four year old man named Rain Delen. He has reported some recent stomach problems. After closer examination, it appears that there are many tumours in his small intestine.

"Understood." was Derek's reply. He then rubbed a bit of antibiotic gel around the area of incision, then, using the scalpel, made the cut. Then he was in.

Operations now never had the same feeling they had back then, Derek thought as he cut out another tumour from the man's small intestine. Back then, he had the Healing Touch to back out and everyone treated him like a national treasure, which he was. Now these days, people around him don't treat him like some superstar (which is how he realized that all the treatment really was getting to his head.) Even he knew that he could barely perform even a normal operation these days without someone like Mary supporting him. What use would a doctor in his state be to Caduceus, or even to any ordinary hospital?

He managed to shake out of it and seeing that this would be the last tumour in need of excision, he quickly cut it out. After a quick sweep around the area with the ultrasound, he shot the patient with a few shots of the green stabilizer, and then grabbed the sutures to suture him up. Just as he was about to close him up however, something in the body ruptured and there was mass haemorrhaging everywhere.

"Dr. Stiles!" Mary yelped in utter panic. They were sure that the last tumour had been excised and that Rain's vitals had stabilized. "The patient's vitals are critical!"

"No way—"was all Derek could find himself saying. "There's no way something like this could just happen! He was stable just a moment ago! What could have caused this?"

"I knew those tumours were suspicious." Greg muttered to himself. "The test results, I admit, were rather strange. This is the first time the patient had problems of any sort. He was perfectly healthy. It was abnormal to have encountered so many tumours in such little time, especially considering that the man was leading a healthy lifestyle."

"What are you talking about, Mr. Kasal?" Derek replied. He kept using the drain in order to get rid of some of the blood while constantly injecting more stabilizers to stall while they figure out a solution to this problem.

"What I mean is that the tumours must not be the primary illness in this case. There must be something else causing those tumours to appear..."

"You can't be saying..." Only one name was in the minds of the three medical specialists in the room, but only Derek could say it out loud. "...GUILT."

"Derek, you are the only one in this entire hospital with the ability to treat it! I believe in you!" Greg exclaimed. Mary gave him a smile that was full of belief and hope. "I know you have it in you, Derek. You just have to believe in yourself."

"But I can't!" was Derek's hasty reply. "GUILT? At a time like this? I can't do it without my Healing Touch!"

"Healing Touch or no Healing Touch, you still have the capabilities of a master surgeon. Besides, you have me for back-up." Greg replied in an astonishingly calm demeanor.

"_Why are you just back-up? Why can't you instead just do the operation yourself?" _Derek mentally retorted.

"Dr. Stiles! You must proceed with the operation immediately!" Mary asserted. Her eyes were darting from side to side wildly, trying to just focus on one problem area, but having to quickly attend to others that were forming due to the GUILT.

"But there's no way—"Suddenly, Derek suddenly felt his body leading him to the sutures in order to close him up and leave him until help from Caduceus comes around, but he knew that he couldn't abandon his duties. Unless this was a new strain of GUILT, he should be capable.

"...alright." Derek sighed in defeat. He then grabbed the drain and cleared the blood on the most part. "Okay, what GUILT strain do I know creates tumours?" Only one name came up: Deftera. This was one GUILT that reminded Derek a lot about him and Angie because the only way Deftera could be a real threat was when one of each kind (which can almost be describe as male and female) fuse and form dangerously large tumours. In other words, the Deftera, like Derek and Angie, can't function without one another. Deftera, though it's a deadly pathogen, it is rather romantic in an optimist's point of view.

"...but now is not the time to be optimistic!" Derek scolded himself as he stared at the mass quantities of Deftera in the patient's intestine. They were all moving at an incredibly fast pace that it was saddening to see. There was no way any ordinary doctor could defeat the GUILT inside poor Rain.

But Dr. Stiles is no ordinary doctor.

Or rather, he used to be no ordinary doctor.

Greg managed to figure out what kind of despair was running through Derek's head. "I know it seems as though the task is impossible to accomplish, but even without the Healing Touch, you still have amazing skill which would trump many of the world's most amazing doctors, even in the state you are currently in."

Derek nodded in response to the compliment and decided that maybe this is what he had been waiting for this entire time. Maybe he was just waiting for the moment where he had no choice but to use the Healing Touch in order to keep up and defeat the GUILT before him. Maybe the Healing Touch will only return when a critical moment of time like this occurred where anything but the Healing Touch would fail to save the patient. He raised the scalpel from the tray before him over the patient and the GUILT.

"Alright, Derek. If there was a better time to get that Healing Touch back, that time would be now! Concentrate!" He visualized the star before him and traced the picture in his mind carefully. His mind began to slip into that altered sense of kinetic vision, his field of vision zoomed in and everything around him slowed. However, the feeling was brief because as soon as it dawned upon him, it immediately slipped away and Derek was back in normal time with the Deftera still attacking Rain Delen's insides.

Greg and Mary realized that Derek had just tried to use the Healing Touch and failed. "Maybe you should try visualizing another focus shape?" Greg chuckled to lighten up the mood, but Derek gave him a deep glare that read of annoyance and anger. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" Greg replied, waving his hands in front of him in a way that meant 'back off'. "Sheesh! Get a sense of humour, why don't you?"

Derek sighed and looked back at the Deftera. That attempt had him drained as he had forced a large amount of energy into trying to get it to succeed. He was rather surprised that after all of the time they had just wasted, the patient was still somehow alive and wasn't in too bad of a shape.

"Please proceed with the operation, Doctor." Mary stated. Derek nodded and only managed to defeat one pair of Deftera when suddenly, the toll of the use of the Healing Touch (or at least the attempt) lashed at Derek, causing him to lose all motor skills. He froze up in the middle of the operation and nearly dropped the scalpel into the patient as it fell out of his hands had it not been for Greg's fast reflexes.

Derek Stiles suddenly collapsed before GUILT.  
The first time in his life, GUILT had a victory over him.

* * *

A/N: Haha, I'm new to the Trauma Center fanfiction world. I've played the games recently and I've been inspired. When I looked at the site and saw that there weren't too many Trauma Center fanfics, I was kinda surprised. I mean, I had at least expected about a thousand of them, considering that there are soo many pairings in TC and fangirls all over would be raving over them (I'm not so good at writing about pairings, so I try to do my best to write stuff like the above or fail-funny stories).

And don't worry about this being a discontinued story... this happens to be a story I've planned ahead of time, so there's no improv here, baby! ;)

Alright, see you next chapter! =D


	2. Mercy

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Trauma Center, Derek and Angie would be married.

A/N: It's weird how each chapter so far began with a dream... (Then again, it's only been two chapters) XD If you get a bit confused by the constant interchanging POV's (stupid ADD!), I'm sorry. I tried my best to make it flow myself and I tried to get a beta reader, but I've got no such luck... I now really think I should stop stalling and get on with the chapter already (No kidding, Sherlock! *throws tomato*).

(Yes, I don't swear in my fanfics for younger readers... they don't need to be stained with dirty language when reading like their parents told them to. I usually rate my fanfics "T" in case the plot line itself becomes too dark, never because of language.)

**I NEED A BETA-READER! JUST THROWING THIS OUT THERE FOR THOSE WHO WISH AND/OR ARE WILLING TO HELP ME! ^^**

And that's the end of my pre-read rant.  
Other than...

Sorry for the morbid nonsense about to come... everyone's so OOC and that's probably my fault. Oh well...

Go read!  
Now!

* * *

"_Wh-where am I...?"_

The thought echoed deep in his head as though nothing other than the very thought was in it.

"Where am I?"

This time, the man shouted it out. His voice echoed and sounded as though it never stopped. The sound of his voice travelled through an endless flat landscape.

The man then got up off the floor and noticed how dark everything was.  
He then realized that all of this time, his eyes had been closed shut without him knowing.

He opened them.  
And then he became surprised.

He found out how it would make no difference to him whether his eyes were closed shut or wide open.

He was surrounded in a world of darkness. There was no light wherever he was, yet he can see just fine.

"Hello?" he called out. Once again, his voice ended up being wasted as the sound made the endless trip through nowhere.

The man sighed in defeat and voluntarily crumpled to the ground and sat down. He didn't want to ponder on how he even got here in the first place knowing well that it would be a waste of time.

This was because this wasn't exactly the first time Derek Stiles found his way into this endless world of darkness. He was always dazed and couldn't think straight anytime he found his way back to this place, but in the end, he will always remember where he was.

"_On the bright side..."_ he thought. _"I have time by myself to think. And in the end, I somehow always return to the real world anyway, so there's no harm in being here."_

He tried to remember what had last happened to him that caused him to return to this lonely place, but he couldn't do it. Either this place caused short term memory loss or he basically just couldn't do it because this world didn't allow him to do such a thing.

After giving up on that simple task, he tried to look around. At first, it would seem like there was nothing there, but Derek knew well that ending up in this place was a sign. It was as though this place was something (or someone's) way of telling him something. This place would also give him signs of its own and it was his job to find it and try to decipher it.

There, he could see it.

But he didn't like what he was seeing.

In front of him were two items.

One was a deflated balloon with a scalpel in the heart of it. Derek picked up these two items first. He noticed the peculiar design in the balloon... he had first assumed that it had been a Valentine's day balloon due to its heart-shaped figure... but what kind of heart has a distinctive "eye" thing in the middle? Judging from the scalpel, this must have been what obviously popped the balloon.

The second item was another strange item. It was a toy. To be more specific, it was a top where you would wind it up, then press the button to release it. Again, the item had a very odd appearance. The item used to wind up the top and release it was designed to look like... a drain. And the top itself... well, needless to say, it was something Derek had never seen before.

Derek winded up the top and released it.  
The top zipped around the floor in front of him so fast; he had trouble keeping an eye on it. The top spun for several minutes before finally running out of momentum and tipping over to a complete stop.

A popped balloon and an impossibly fast top were in front of him.  
But what did this mean?

Derek sighed. There was no use thinking about it. Like the origin of this world, the meaning of the items is to remain shrouded in mystery until the time comes where their meaning will be brought to fruition.

As soon as he had given up, he lay down on his back and stared at the empty sky above him. There was only a single star in the sky.

This would be his way back.

He closed his eyes and allowed the light from the small star to engulf him...  
...which always somehow allowed him to return to the real world.

* * *

Chapter Two: Mercy

Patrick Mercer was a man of great power. His very presence shook those with ranks below his, and that was a large number of people. His voice influenced many great figures in the medical world.

And today his voice was once again going to influence one of said great figures.

It was amazing really, how one man could know so much without being on the scene; but one thing is for sure.  
Patrick Mercer was a man who always got what he wanted.

Right now, he was riding in a taxi, a new change to the man considering that his normal mode of transportation consists of a range of private jets, yachts, and limousines. He had requested the taxi driver (who had absolutely no clue who his passenger was) to drive him over to Hope Hospital after the shocking news one of his "reliable informants" had given to him about a week ago.

Of course, unknowingly, this informant was none other than his daughter, Heather Ross, herself.

Mercer felt crushed at how devastated his own daughter had felt after the event with Emilio. The sound of her weeping through the phone line almost drove him to tears, though he made well not to show it. He was a man of power and any sign of weakness could crush him.

Though Heather clearly didn't know exactly where Derek Stiles had been transferred to at the time (because apparently it was considered classified for Derek's sake), she had still told him about how Derek was no longer working in Caduceus. She also told him how he had lost his Healing Touch after the event with Emilio. Of course, if she had known the full truth of what her father was going to do with that information, she may have controlled her emotions a lot further and wouldn't have disclosed that information.

However, it's too late for that.  
The story she had told him (which was made to vent out all of her feelings) was enough.

She had already told him all he needed to know.  
And though the deed is vile, Mercer was about to use his own daughter's feelings to his advantage.

After hearing the story, Mercer sat in silence for hours, secluding himself from the outside world, thinking of what he should do next.

In the end, it struck him.  
This would be a perfect opportunity.

He had already begun planning for the rise of the HOA, the Hands of Asclepius. The testing and procedures for the Asclepius Project were almost complete and Mercer knew that it would be rather successful in the end. Already many doctors had signed up for the program, but only the most elite are chosen for this program. These "lucky" doctors will be, unknowingly to them, treated like lab rats and will be given the stimulants and so on which will result in the gift of the artificial Healing Touch.

Even though Derek Stiles had lost the ability that had made him such an amazing doctor, he still would be an amazing contribution to the cause. Mercer knew that the first time he had heard of him through some reports he had come across while researching the Healing Touch. The entire research on the Healing Touch was based on techniques performed by Derek himself that were captured on film (even though these films are rather outdated, they still made an enormous contribution to the cause). Derek doesn't even know how much he had already contributed without even knowing it. If he came and physically aided the research, even though he doesn't have his Touch, his advice and so on may help the conclusion to the research come faster than Mercer or anyone on the Asclepius Project had anticipated.

"_Maybe..." _he thought. _"Maybe he will be the one..."_

And that is how he was in a taxi; the easiest way to remain under the radar, headed for Hope Hospital where one of his connections informed him was the location of the now crippled master surgeon Derek Stiles.

"Alright pal, we're here." The taxi driver, a scruffy and rather obese 43 year old man, came to a complete stop in front of the hospital. He looked back in the back seat where his customer was sitting. He knew there was something odd about this guy, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Then again, many customers that pass through this taxi have some odd feature about them that he couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he ignored the feeling and just stuffed another cigarette into his mouth. "That'll be $24." he said gruffly.

Patrick Mercer handed the money over quickly. He then stepped out of the car that was reeking of nicotine and into the pristine air around the medical structure in front of him. The place was well known as a milestone in Derek's medical career; the first place he went through in order to become the doctor he was today. Because of this reputation, many newcomers from around the world come to work under the expertise of Greg Kasal and Cybil Myers in high hopes of becoming as amazing as Derek Stiles himself.

He walked through the doors of the hospital-  
-And was surprised to find no one in sight.

* * *

"...Are you alright, Derek?" Greg asked as soon as he found Derek awake. Of course, Derek knew nothing of the "dream" he just had (which kind of defeats the purpose) and gazed emptily into his mentor's eyes. Greg helped him sit up on the bed. "You had us all worried." Greg gave Derek a playful smirk, but Derek looked away in shame.

After Derek's sudden collapse in the E.R., Greg had no choice but to call someone to get him, and then complete the operation himself. There was no way Caduceus could get here fast enough. Fortunately, he had been watching attentively to the way Derek took out one pair of the Deftera and simply did that process one by one. However, he was not capable of doing this alone, so he had Mary get another surgeon who was free and had him inject as much stabilizer as she could into the patient whenever she got the chance. In other words, it took two people working simultaneously to save the patient.

"How is he...?" Derek groaned out after a sudden shock pierced through his skull. He was still fatigued after what had just happened and his head took quite an impact after falling onto the cold, hard floor.

"Your patient? He's doing quite fine. I managed to save him after you collapsed..." Greg looked at the surgeon in front of him with a concerned look plastered all over his face. He knew that the event that had just occurred was doing nothing to benefit Derek's recuperation.

Derek was here because a patient died on his watch.  
This caused a spiral of events that led to the situation he was in now.

The operation that occurred mere hours ago made things even worse in Derek's head than Greg could ever imagine.

And it was only going to continue downhill from here.

* * *

"Umm... excuse me." Patrick Mercer caught the attention of a passing nurse, the first person he had seen in the hospital pass by the waiting room in the thirty minutes he had been here.

"Yes?"

"I hear that Derek Stiles is currently residing here. May I please see him?"

The nurse thought for a second, then shrugged. "Are you talking about _the_ Derek Stiles? The medical prodigy himself?" The nurse suddenly had a glow of wonder in her eyes, but then was quickly replaced by the look of apology. "If he were working here, I would be amazed, but unfortunately, there is no one in the vicinity with a name like that." She then moved towards the E.R., but then Mercer stopped her once more. He grabbed the nurse's shoulder suddenly, causing the nurse to gasp in surprise.

"Are you sure?" he insisted. The nurse groaned in annoyance and moved to remove the hand off her shoulder, but Mercer didn't budge.

The two people suddenly began to stare into each other's eyes and the two held their gaze for a few minutes. It was a silent battle, but in the end, the nurse moaned in defeat. "Alright, if you want, I'll get someone here and see if they can solve your problem." She then picked up the phone, made a few inquiries, then hung up. "Someone is coming here to help you." She then picked up the charts that had been in her hand before she moved to call someone and headed towards the E.R. once more. "I'm telling you though; there is no one in this building by the name of Derek Stiles."

Mercer sighed and took a seat once more in one of the chairs in the waiting lounge. He picked up an old magazine in front of him on the glass coffee table at random and without giving much attention to the content of the pages, stared and flipped through the magazine slowly.

This was all just something he can do without drawing too much attention to himself as he sat down and went into deep thought.

"_Maybe my informant was wrong and Stiles really isn't here..."_ he thought to himself. _"Then again, he has never been wrong about anything. I can trust him... though if he is wrong; he WILL be expecting a salary cut in this month's review." _Mercer sighed and glanced up to see if that person the nurse told him would be coming to help him had arrived yet, but not a soul had passed through the waiting room since then. _"Maybe the fact that Stiles was back at Hope was on a need-to-know basis, so lowly personnel like that nurse would have no idea about his presence... Stiles may have taken a disguise so no one would recognise him and disturb him while, as my daughter said, he recuperate from the events."_

Mercer eventually gave up trying to figure out what was up.  
He'll just have to find a way...

He needed this to succeed.  
This was the perfect plan.

* * *

"I-I'm so sorry for failing you, Dr. Kasal." Derek whispered, voice shaky from tears. "There's no way I'm a real doctor, especially considering the performance I've delivered over the past few weeks."

"Aww... no need to be so down and hard on yourself, Derek." Greg commented with a smile on his face. Derek didn't respond.

Greg then took a seat on the bed and slung an arm over Derek's shoulder. Derek just continued to look down on the floor, apparently unaware of Greg's arm. "C'mon, mistakes happen to all of us, even to a master surgeon like you." Greg exclaimed. "But whatever happens, the action that makes us great is not whether or not we make mistakes but how we act afterwards. Will we just let the mistake inevitably crush us? Or will we continue to fight another day?"

Derek then looked up into his mentor's eyes, tears swimming. "But what if that mistake cost a life – no, several? What the hell would you do then?" Derek got up, violently pulling away Greg's arm off of him. "I can't just ignore the fact that someone died!" Derek roared. "Now as a result, my Healing Touch is gone. I've abandoned my loyal assistant and friends. I can't even work to pay back for the death!"

Derek stopped for a moment. There was an unusual silence. He had expected Greg to lash back with remarks, but his mentor was just sitting there, his eyes in deep thought. Now, allowing the tears to flow freely down from his face, he whispered, "Wh-what if I can't save lives anymore?"

The crushed surgeon took his place back beside his mentor and slumped. Greg didn't make a move.

The two men allowed the silence to engulf them for a while until Cybil came in. "Um, Greg, someone—"She didn't notice the two men sitting silently on the bed, almost as though they were in deep prayer. The only thing is, the younger of the two was sobbing to himself, unable to get it to stop. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll come back later, if you'd like..."

Greg finally looked up with a rather stern look on his face, which was unlike him. "No, don't worry about it. What do you need?"

"A man wishes to see you down in the waiting lobby. Apparently, he needed to have a few questions straightened out. A nurse specifically asked that you be the one to answer him. If you'd like, I'll be glad to take your place and fix up the problem yourself..."

"It's fine, Cybil. I'll take it." Greg got up and silently walked out of the room, without giving so much as a glance at his wife. Just before he went down the stairs, Greg called out to Cybil. "Watch over Derek for me, will ya?"

Cybil watched as her husband walked down the stairs, then called out "Don't worry about it; I'll keep him in my sight." She turned back around, enjoying the nice cool crisp breeze from the open window in Derek's room as it tickled her neck.

Then she did a double-take.

The window was wide open.  
And Derek was gone.

* * *

It was about half an hour later when Greg finally met up with Mercer. Greg found the man casually reading an old grocery flyer, rather interested about the low price of steak at that time (too bad that sale ended over a month ago).

"So you must be the one who requested my services?" Greg exclaimed. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to wipe off any emotions from the "conversation" he had with Derek a few moments ago and put on the best smile he could possibly whip up at the time.

"Er, yes, that would be me." Mercer replied. He got up and moved in to shake the doctor's hand. "My name is Patrick Mercer, CEO and founder of the Hands of Asclepius."

Greg smiled after recognising the name and gladly shook the other man's hand. He had heard of the HOA through some medical journal and found the article on it interesting. If the man in front of him managed to successfully complete his research, there would be quite a revolution in the future of medicine.

"And I'm Greg Kasal, Ace Surgeon" he replied, letting out a little chuckle after that.

"Ah, so you are the infamous Greg Kasal!" Mercer replied, honestly just trying to get on the surgeon's good side. The key to getting what you want from others was to befriend them first. "I've heard so much about a world-renowned surgeon like you."

"Well—"Greg started to chuckle to himself some more. It wasn't everyday someone came in and called you a world-renowned surgeon. "—I'm more well-known for being Derek Stiles' mentor as opposed to my own skill."

"No, you're just too modest, that's all." Mercer motioned for the two of them to take a seat and chat. Greg obliged and the two took their place on the chairs of the waiting lobby. They were so occupied by each other's presence that they didn't notice Cybil walking in with a frantic look in her eye.

* * *

As soon as Cybil learned that Derek had somehow gone missing, she sprinted into the room towards the wide open window first and looked out of the window in fear that Derek had committed suicide and that his body would be splattered all over the ground. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.

As soon as that fear was cleared up, she had run down the stairs to look for Greg. However, seeing that her husband was already occupied, she stepped out of the waiting room once more and instead ran out of the hospital to see where Derek could have escaped. She first decided to look around the area underneath his window. There had been a tree right by it, so it was clear that he simply climbed down.

"Derek!" she called out. "Don't be a child and come out already! Why the hell did you think that you needed to escape? All you had to do was ask and I would have gladly let you take a walk for some fresh air. However, you jumping out of the window made me very... sad!" She felt like she was talking to a six-year-old. She then sighed and continued to lure Derek out of hiding.

"Listen, Stiles! I don't know what happened between you and Greg, but I have the feeling that it was about that last operation you did. If you can hear me, then know this: none of us were disappointed in the result. We know you tried your hardest and that even though you collapsed; you still saved the patient by continuing the operation after your attempt to reawaken your Healing Touch. The fatigue must have been tough; you must have nerves of steel to work under those conditions. If you just stopped there, you wouldn't have been able to give Greg an example on how to tackle the Deftera. And for that, we are ALL proud of you, so please come out. There's nothing to be ashamed about. Stop running from your problems!"

However, she got no response. After waiting a bit, hoping that Derek would come out of hiding (which didn't happen), she immediately ran over to the back of the building towards the dumpsters to keep searching.

Derek, of course, had been in the tree the entire time. There was no way he had the strength to climb down said tree yet. Fortunately, the tree was old and had a treasure of foliage, enough that he could camouflage into it with his green hospital scrubs. Cybil's words stung him. They felt like a vicious punch from a certain 9 year old. After Cybil left, he didn't budge. If he didn't have the strength to get down this tree fifteen minutes before Cybil came, there was no way he had the strength to get down now.

"Guess I'm stuck up a gum tree." Derek sighed (yes, the tree really was a gum tree, judging from the fruit it produced). He sat down on a sturdy branch and waited till there was a suitable reason for him to come down immediately. Otherwise, this tree was the perfect place to think, aside from the leaves that would constantly get in his face every ten seconds or so.

* * *

"—Derek Stiles?" Greg repeated. "You mean, you believe that Derek Stiles has made residency here at Hope Hospital once more?" The senior surgeon laughed. All Mercer could do in exchange was frown in discontentment. "Well, if a wealthy and powerful man like you hasn't heard, which is oddly surprising, Derek Stiles has been working for Caduceus as of a couple of YEARS ago. Why would he return here?"

Ah, the question Mercer had been waiting for had arrived. "Well, I've heard of what happened to Derek recently. A patient, Emilio Juarez, died before he got the chance to save him. Rumours of his devastation and collapse afterwards have been running alone the grapevine for quite some time now and I wanted to hear first-hand whether these rumours are true. I heard that he returned here in order to 'secretly' recuperate while everyone else assumed that he was still working at Caduceus, which I KNOW is false. "

Greg looked shocked. He himself had made sure to keep Derek's story and return to Hope a secret. The only people in Hope Hospital who know the truth about Derek and his return there were on a need-to-know basis. Otherwise, everyone else just assumed that a new rookie came along one day and was lucky enough to work under the care of Greg and Cybil (hence the nurse's confusion).

"And judging by the look of your face..." Mercer continued. "I'm right, aren't I, Kasal?"

Greg simply threw on an apathetic face in response. He didn't want to say yes or no in case he aggravated the situation any further.

"Okay, now that that's settled, let's get back to the matter at hand." Mercer looked Greg deep in the eyes and clasped his hands together. "I need to see Derek Stiles. May you be so kind as to show me the way to his room?"

Greg sighed. All he could do now is stall and hope he crashed into Cybil so he could have her help in the matter. "I'm sure that Derek isn't here, so I don't know what you're talking about. If you want, I can just give you a tour of the hospital instead, allowing you to take a look at the entire hospital and prove that Derek isn't residing here."

He got up and reluctantly led the CEO of HOA in the direction away from where he knew Derek was staying. It was the only thing he could do to stall. They would hit the recuperation ward last. The last thing Greg thought before focusing on explaining the facilities to Mercer was a prayer that he would crash into Cybil along the way to get her help and that revealing the fact that Derek is staying at Hope won't be as disastrous as he and Hoffman thought.

* * *

Fortunately for Greg, Cybil had given up on her search for Derek a while ago and was just sitting in Derek's room with worry. _"All that training in the force and I can't even find a simple missing person." _she sighed to herself.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of her lover's chuckle along with footsteps just down the hallway heading her way. "It's Greg!" she swiftly remarked. She immediately got up and looked around as though there may be a place to hide, but it was no use. How was she going to explain that Derek had suddenly gone missing?

She then got out of the room thinking of the only possible thing to do in this situation.

Stall Greg.  
And as soon as that fails, she has to find a way to bring on the news lightly so he didn't get angry.  
And if he did get angry, he will have to face the Iron Vixen herself.

Cybil smirked. This plan may turn out better than she imagined.

* * *

"And second last, but not least, here is our state-of-the-art recuperation ward!" Greg explained as he motioned with his hands the direction of the ward. "I saved the state-of-the-art operating rooms for last because I still need to check if one is in use."

Mercer sighed. "You say EVERYTHING in your hospital is state-of-the-art..."

"Oh Greg, there you are!" Cybil exclaimed with a large smile on her face. Greg and Mercer looked up to find her running towards them. She then looked at her husband and saw that he too put on a rather large smile... a sigh of relief followed. "I've been looking all over for you!" She put on her best cute pouty face and then gave Greg a quick peck on the cheek.

Greg blushed in response. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Cybil. I was just helping this kind gentleman out with his, err, problems. Apparently, he was wondering if Derek came back." A look of worry flashed through Greg's eyes and Cybil caught it. "I tried my best to tell him that he wasn't here, but the man won't take a no, so now I'm stuck giving him a tour of the hospital and prove that Derek isn't here!"

Mercer frowned a bit in the way Greg had put the circumstances, then smiled kindly and held out his hand. "Hello, I'm Patrick Mercer." he replied.

"And I'm Cybil Kasal." Cybil took his hand and shook it firmly.

"Ah, the Iron Vixen herself. What an honour it is to be in your presence." Mercer let go of her hand and gave a look that read of astonishment to both Greg and Cybil. "Judging from your current last names and wedding bands on both of your fingers, you two are now married?"

Cybil nodded, and then clutched onto her husband's arm tightly. Greg flinched at her actions, and then relaxed and let her affection soak in. "We sure are!" was Cybil's response. "Marrying Greg was the best decision I've ever made, aside from leaving the force to pursue a career in medicine. Isn't that right, sweetie?"

Greg blushed a bit more. It isn't everyday where Cybil called him 'sweetie' in public. "Yeah, it sure was!" he chuckled. He then moved in to kiss Cybil on her head, but then Cybil let go of him and moved away, causing Greg to miss and nearly topple over.

"Aww, sorry about that, Gregy." Cybil realized what was going on and laughed along with a chuckling Mercer. Greg's blush made his cheeks completely pink. He got up and fixed himself up, unable to control his cheeks from becoming any more pink than they were now.

Mercer then stopped chuckling. In his head, he was frustrated at the couple for wasting time and he needed to somehow get the love-struck couple back on track. He knew Derek was either here or the only other place he hadn't looked, the "state-of-the-art" operating room, and he needed to see him now.

As soon as he thought this however, Cybil started to speak to him. "Mr. Mercer, was it? I'm not sure if you were aware of it, but Derek has moved on to Caduceus a couple of years ago. He comes back here for short visits on his day off, but otherwise, he's with Caduceus, saving the world from incurable diseases and such. You won't find him here."

Mercer frowned. "I don't believe you." he simply stated. "I know Derek is here and I intend to find him and speak to him about important matters." He then walked ahead of the couple trying to hide their shocked expressions and then looked back. "May you please continue the tour?"

This time, it was Cybil's turn to frown. "Alright." she replied. "But only after I have a word with Greg." Mercer sighed and nodded in agreement and Cybil pulled Greg away from the man and around a corner.

"What was with all that affection?" Greg first said with a large grin. "You never say or do those things to me when other people are around."

"Don't you think we have more important things to deal with?" Cybil hissed. Then her frown lightened up and she gave him a grin in return. "—but did you like it?"

Greg hugged his loving wife for a bit, and then threw on a more serious look. "See? I told you this is trouble." Greg sighed in exasperation. "What are we going to do? We can't let him know that Derek really is here; no one can know. That's what Hoffman said; it's for Derek's comfort and safety."

"I know." Cybil replied in a whisper. She then paused and then nodded to a passing nurse. "But there's no need to worry. I was afraid to tell you this, but it turns out, it's beneficial to the matter. You see, Derek escaped—"

"—WHAT?" Greg covered his mouth quickly to avoid attracting attention. Mercer heard however and began to walk over. Cybil took note of Mercer's approach and quickly nodded to Greg in an attempt to tell him that it was fine and that as long as Derek wasn't in the hospital, then Mercer wouldn't know the truth. Somehow, Greg got all of that in one nod and looked to the corner where Mercer suddenly appeared.

"Is something wrong?" he asked questioningly. "I heard someone scream—"

Greg was the first to come up with an excuse. He put on a big smile and said "Sorry about that, sir, but she was telling me about our baby..." Greg tried his best to pretend to hint that Cybil was pregnant. Cybil caught on and rubbed her abdominal area.

Mercer caught on and gave Cybil a warm smile. "Well, I believe that congratulations are in order." Cybil let him rub the area of where the non-existent baby was. "I am a parent too." Mercer continued, though just saying that statement made him cough. He wasn't REALLY a parent under any circumstances. He had a child; it's just that he wasn't a parent. The thought nearly put a tear to his eye, but he blinked it off. "I hope he or she will live a long and fulfilling life."

"Thank you, Mr. Mercer." she replied. "Alright, let's get back to the tour."

The three then walked away from the corner and thoughts of the "baby" in Cybil's womb and headed towards the rest of the recuperation rooms and explain certain things along the way in order to continue the tour to find a "non-existent" Derek Stiles.

* * *

At the end, the three returned from their final tour location, the operating rooms. Mercer sighed in disappointment. Looks like his source was wrong and Derek really didn't return to Hope Hospital in order to recuperate. Greg and Cybil smiled at their success and stroke of luck.

"I'm very sorry for wasting your time, Mr. and Mrs. Kasal." Mercer replied with a weak smile. "Thank you for the tour, otherwise. You are lucky to be working in a hospital with such amazing state-of-the-art facilities."

"No, the pleasure was ours." Greg replied.

"And it's nice to have an important person like you to take interest in insignificant mere hospitals like Hope." Cybil continued.

"I assure you, Hope Hospital is no mere hospital." Mercer replied. He then stepped outside and tried to signal for a taxi. However, he didn't succeed and sighed once more in defeat. He decided that he would walk over to the main road and signal for a taxi there. He looked back to the couple waving at him. "Farewell and good luck!" he called back to the couple. Mercer then picked up his briefcase and walked off...

* * *

...into the direction of what just happened to be where Derek had been hiding. Eventually, Derek willed himself to get down off the tree after waiting thirty uncomfortable minutes. He then made his way to a coffee shop nearby where he would go to on his lunch breaks back at Hope and ordered a nice hot cup of coffee. The welcoming scent of coffee and bakery goods always managed to get to him and, for the first time that day, Derek finally managed to get his mind off medical stuff.

After he was finished relaxing and enjoying his cup, he decided that it was time to head back to Hope and apologize to his two mentors for getting away like that so suddenly.

As he was walking, he ended up crashing into none other than Patrick Mercer himself. The two men collided and fell to the ground as a result of both of them hanging their heads low and not paying attention to what was right in front of them. Mercer ended up dropping his briefcase, causing the briefcase to open up and allow a few papers to flutter out in the breeze.

"Sorry about that, sir." Derek quickly stated as he got up off the sidewalk and helped the man up. Mercer grunted, and then looked up to the sight of Derek's apologetic look.

"No, it's my fault for not looking where I was going." Mercer replied. The two then picked up the papers and put them back into his briefcase. "Thank you for your help." Mercer couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. He recognised the person helping him immediately. It turns out that Lady Luck was on his side, but he couldn't know for sure until he asked. "My name is Patrick Mercer." Mercer continued. He held his hand out to make Derek give an introduction in order to confirm his identity.

Derek took the bait. "And my name is Derek Stiles." He kindly accepted the handshake and was surprised by how strong Mercer's grip was. Mercer couldn't help it, however, because he was just too excited over his amazing stroke of luck. The Kasals had lied to him and they probably would've gotten away with it to had it not been for him crashing into the man he had been looking for all this time.

Derek also got thinking too. He knew he had heard the name 'Patrick Mercer' before, but he couldn't remember where. Suddenly, he recalled an article in a medical journal Greg had lent to him the other day. "Do you happen to be the CEO of the Hands of Asclepius that I've heard about?" Derek couldn't stop his curiosity. Mercer nodded and Derek gasped at his 'stroke of luck'. "Oh, that's amazing!" Derek replied.

"What is one of the world's most talented surgeon doing out here in a place like this?" Mercer knew he had to continue this conversation if he wanted to get what he wanted.

"Oh, my boss told me that I needed a break from all of the work from Caduceus." It was as close to the truth as Derek could get. "How about you? What are you doing here?"

"...I was looking for you." was Mercer's simple reply.

"You were looking for me? Why?"

"I have a proposition to make." Mercer took a deep breath in to calm himself down. "How would you like to join the Asclepius Project? We could sure use a doctor with talent as amazing as yours on our side?"

Derek chuckled, but it took a while for the thought to sink in. Angie was right; there was something wrong with him for taking so long to say no. "I'm sorry sir, but my heart is with Caduceus." Derek replied. "Besides, I'm no use to you now. You see, my Healing Touch—"

"—Is gone, I know." Mercer cut in.

"How did you know?"

"Heather Ross is my daughter. She told me what happened."

Derek looked at the man in front of him wide-eyed. "Really? I never knew. That would explain the resemblance..." The truth is, Derek couldn't see any resemblance between him and Heather Ross, but he didn't know what else to say.

Mercer chuckled. "Well, even if your Healing Touch is, as you say, gone, which is something I can't believe, at least that doesn't seem to keep you from saving lives."

"Haha, that's funny..." Derek smiled sleepily. "Because I'm pretty sure that is not true..."

Derek gave Mercer a quick summary on the operations he had failed recently and Mercer took this in quite well. All throughout that time, Derek had been wondering to himself why it was so easy for him to tell a stranger all of this. The thing is, this is exactly what he needed. Derek needed to vent out his feelings and this ended up being an opportunity to do so. He just poured his heart out while trying a feeble attempt to stop himself. However, the feeling was just too overly satisfying and in the end, Mercer knew everything going on behind the scenes with Derek.

"—I see. You shouldn't be concerned about that, Derek. When you think about it, your mere presence gives hope to people out there." Derek gave him a small smile and Mercer returned it with a smile of his own.

"What if I change up my proposition...?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, instead of just asking you to join the HOA, what if I add in this? You see, the HOA is based on the Asclepius Project which is an attempt to give all doctors your amazing ability, the Healing Touch."

"That's incredible." Derek looked at Mercer with awe.

"Anyways, if you join us and help us complete our research a lot faster, in return, I will give you back your Healing Touch... Derek, you could save lives again."

"Wh—you could do that?" There was now a dazed look in Derek's eye. The idea was mind-blowing, but if Mercer could do that... No! What was he thinking? He's with Caduceus. He's with Angie... But what good would he, a Healing Touch-less doctor, be to Caduceus? He has been unable to even perform routine operations these days. If what this man says is true, that he could reawaken his Healing Touch, then he would be able to do what he set out to do; save people. He would be able to work to pay the debt over Emilio's death. But the thought of leaving everybody at Caduceus like this was terrifying. What would they say when they found out that he wanted to join the HOA? Then again, should his own sake be prioritised over many other people's lives? Surely that shouldn't be the case.

Derek made his decision. He glanced down at his right wrist which had a bracelet wrapped around it. Angie had given it to him on their one year anniversary of their partnership since they first met back at Hope Hospital.

He wrapped his fingers around it...  
...And ripped it off.

"—Deal." he replied. "I'll join you, but only on one condition."

Mercer smiled. He finally got what he wanted. He couldn't let this opportunity slip away. Even if Derek asked for millions of dollars at the time, he would have given it to him.

"What do you need?"

"I need Caduceus to not know about me joining the HOA." Derek said. "Especially Angie. You see, nobody currently knows where I am, so as of now, I am a missing person. I need you to set me up a fake death. I don't want people to know that I'm working for you so I don't hurt the people I'm leaving back at Caduceus." Derek's voice cracked at the thought of what he was doing and hoped that his friends understand that he was doing all this in order to save others. With the Healing Touch, he could regain everything he lost after Emilio's death.

"—That's fine with me. I will be glad to arrange that. If you want to work for me as a ghost, then so be it."

Mercer flipped through his briefcase and pulled out employment sheets and a HOA patch, which was an abstract form of a white hand outstretched like Derek does when he begins an operation. A star, the same shape Derek visualizes when activating his Healing Touch, overlapped the hand and four angel wings protruded from the hand. The letters "H O A" were in the middle of it all.

Mercer stripped off the Caduceus patch on Derek's clothing and replaced it with the HOA patch. He patted it down and got Derek to hold it down until the adhesive took effect. Derek flinched at the sound of the ripping, but forced himself to calm down as he held the patch down.

Finally, Derek put his hand down, revealing the new patch on his clothes. Mercer smiled at the look of it on Derek. The feeling of his success swelled from the sight. "You need to sign these forms to officially start your work with the HOA." Mercer stated calmly, surprised that he was able to do so considering that inside, he felt as though he would burst in happiness and excitement (just like a little kid).

"We should go into the coffee shop behind me so we can the finer parts of the deal in there. We need to talk about the circumstances of my 'death' and what exactly I'm going to be doing for you at HOA." Derek was surprised at how his tone of voice. It was just like sticking your hand in a bucket filled with cold water and glass: cold and sharp.

Derek then led his new boss into his favourite coffee shop. Mercer gave him a questioning look and Derek caught it and responded. "But yes, no matter what, in the end, I am working for you." he said in order to assure the man.

As of then, he no longer worked for Caduceus.  
His heart was amongst the Hands of Asclepius.  
He just sold his soul to the Devil.

* * *

A/N: OMG, that took a while... I suck at dramatic dialogues *sigh*. Isn't this a big jump? I mean, the last chapter only had about 1000 words. Suddenly, this chapter comes along and I believe it has around 8000 words =O. I'm getting better at lengthening my chapters! Yay! ^^

Oh yeah, if you never noticed, I put a couple (in other words, TWO) Ace Attorney references that I couldn't resist putting into this chapter. If you can find them, give me a review and tell me what these two references were! =) If someone gets the two of them right, there will be a prize (MAYBE something along the lines of a free cookie?)

And last comment of the day: ZOMG, the plot finally begins! =) Just warning people ahead of time: I may end up torturing Derek (only slightly) in the following chapters, so YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! =)

**Derek**: The HOA patch is so ugly... couldn't you have come up with a better design?**  
Me**: I'm no artist... there's no way that's possible... Well, at least it's not me wearing it! =P**  
Derek**: *pouts* Do I get to keep my Caduceus patch though? You know, as a souvenir?  
**Me**: Yeah, but don't fret too much about it because in the end, it won't matter. _*devious smile*_  
**Derek**: What's that supposed to mean?  
**Me**: _*turns off lights, then holds flashlight to face*_ You'll see... Mwu ha ha ha ha ha ha...! _*coughs up hairball*_

* * *

Anyways, if you people really are reading this, then I need to tell you that I have an excuse as to why I may take a little longer to update later on. You see, my friends and I have started a new Youtube group called "ilikebamboo". Our debut video is up and I was kinda hoping to get some attention by putting this on here, so please check out my profile because all of the links are there. =)

Please subscribe because we need to know if we can attract enough attention like this... we're in the middle of another vid (which will certainly improve quality-wise) and we need ALL of the support we can get... because like fanfiction authors who get a lot of their motivation from the reviews that get from their readers (please review), Youtube groups get a lot of their motivation from the amount of people who watch their video, so PLEASE support the cause! =)

~PXLight~


	3. Unfortunate Mishap

**Disclaimer**: Trauma Center does not belong to me. If it did, some things I write in fanfics would have actually happened in the game... only SOME things, okay? I wouldn't torture Derek in the actual game.

A/N: And so here it is! The third chapter of "Lost Hope", my first Trauma Center fanfic, is finally here! Sorry for taking so long, but if you didn't know, I had been working a ton on a surprise, so I had to wait until I finished that before I could upload this chapter (I finished this last week and it was just waiting to get out there). PLEASE DON'T KILL ME FOR TAKING SOO LONG! T.T I promise that I will try my best to use American lingo (miles, freeway, etc.) when writing my story, but the way I spell certain words will remain Canadian (grey, centre, colour, etc.).

And to those of you who guessed at the two Ace attorney references last chapter, I was talking about:

When Greg said "Greg Kasal, Ace Surgeon."

After Cybil talked to Derek without knowing he was there during her search, Derek felt as though he had been viciously punched "by a certain 9-year-old". That 9-year-old I was referring to was none-other than Pearl Fey, Maya's little cousin.

And if you don't even play Ace Attorney, so you have no clue what I'm talking about, go and get yourself a game and try it out! =P I mean, you can get "Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney" on the iPod even these days!

Okay, enough advertising.

Go on!  
Read the damn chapter already!

* * *

"_An...gie..."_

The voice was faint, but she could just barely make out the voice calling her name. She couldn't see who was calling out, but then again, she couldn't see a thing.

"_Angie..."_

This time, the voice was a little clearer, but it was still just a whisper. Angie rubbed her eyes. She needed to see who was calling out her name.

"_Angie..."_

She opened her eyes and saw a blur of white and brown. She felt as though she recognised this blur and the voice it was emitting.

"_Angie...I..."_

Again, with each passing time, the voice got clearer and clearer and so did Angie's vision. This time, she noticed that there was more to what the voice was saying after her name. The voice, which belonged to a man, was trying to tell her something, but what? It was so frustrating how she knew the name of this person, but she couldn't figure it out.

"Angie...I..soe...r..."

Gah! She was so close! Just a little more...

"—ANGIE! NOOOO!"

Suddenly, the blur that was so close to being fully clear was completed absorbed into the darkness, the scream he emitted lingering around Angie's figure, then dragged down along with its owner. Angie was left alone to ponder, when suddenly, she too plummeted...

* * *

She gasped awake, bathed in sweat. She was so close to figuring out whom that person was and what he had to say, but she just couldn't do it. She slammed her fists down either side of her in utter frustration.

For some reason, she had been getting the same dream the past few days. It had all started a little over a week since Derek had left Caduceus. She had made sure that she would be fine without him and was doing well until only a few days ago when she started having these strange dreams. A blur of a man would appear calling to her in an attempt to tell her something, but what? This dream, however, had been different from the rest. This was the first time the man screamed her name and fell through darkness.

That definitely wasn't a good sign.

Unfortunately, she refused to go to anybody for help. The only person she could trust to talk about this was off to recuperate and she wasn't allowed to communicate with him. Everyone else had been thrown into a mild depression as well after Derek left and had been extra busy trying to cope with the extra workload due to Derek's absence. The surgeons finally realize just how immense Derek's work because they were only just able to make it through, even though they all split it amongst themselves.

Angie, on the other hand, had been on the most part doing paperwork. She only allowed her services as a nurse to be available to those on the Special Disease Counteraction Team at Caduceus. Otherwise, it was just paperwork for her. The only reason she was tired when she went home for the day was because her hand killed after holding her pen for hours.

She sighed to herself and instead of trying to sleep again right away; she got up and grabbed herself a glass of water. All of this thinking had got her throat dry. Then, with the glass in her hand, she walked over to her apartment window where held a magnificent view of Angeles Bay.

The moonlight radiated off her skin as she stared out at the many skyscrapers and passing vehicles. The scattered lights were rather pretty; almost like stars. Speaking of stars, the pollution in the city made it so you could only see a few of the brightest stars at night.

Angie thought back to when she was still a young girl. Her dad would carry her out one night and walk with her towards an open field. There wasn't a lot of pollution or human contamination where they used to live. The fresh air did wonders to Angie's family's health; they never got sick.

Kenneth Blackwell would then place Angie on the soft grass of the open field and she would gently wake up on her own. From there, the two would gaze at the stars for hours until they fell asleep on the ground, only to wake up to Angie's mom gently waking them up in the morning and telling them to go back to the house and eat breakfast.

Just the simple thoughts of Angie's childhood caused her to smile while a single tear trickled down her cheek. It was true that she missed those days, but she knew that there was no way those days would return. All she could do now is cope with today and use yesterday as a motivation to improve for tomorrow.

She placed the now empty glass by the sink and headed back to bed.

Little did she know that this last action would be the end of the calm before the storm.

* * *

Chapter Three: Unfortunate Mishap

Adel Tulba woke up bright and early. There wasn't much light coming from outside considering that the Sun wasn't up just yet, but Adel's mental clock made him wake up at this time. Every day, he would wake up at four in the morning in order to study just before he continued his lessons at Caduceus. Ever since he was operated on Derek and Hoffman, he had found himself waking at this time with a new fire to study.

He glanced over at the picture by his bedside before getting up and stretching out of his rather comfortable. The hotel room was provided by Caduceus. Apparently, Caduceus was paying for all of his fees, his room, and his tuition thanks to Dr. Stiles. Normally, Adel would be grateful.

But ever since the operation he had recently, Adel just hasn't been able to think of Dr. Stiles in a good manner.

After finding out how Dr. Stiles didn't use the Healing Touch on him, causing Hoffman to jump in and save the day, the fire was born. The thought of Derek purposely unwilling to use the Healing Touch on him and save him acted like throwing gasoline into the fire.

Why wouldn't he use it?  
This was the question that caused Adel to stop believing in Derek.

Why didn't he save him?

One side of Adel was saying that he didn't use the Healing Touch because apparently, Dr. Stiles didn't think that Adel deserved to be saved through that means.

The other side of Adel, the one that supports Derek, believes that Dr. Stiles must have had a reason to not use it other than that Adel didn't deserve it.

Unfortunately, because Adel couldn't think of a reason, the first side always dominated in these mental debates which have led into the fire that drives Adel to study in order to try and surpass his despicable mentor. That is why he was awake and ready to crack the books.

"Chapter Four: The Foaly Method..." Adel read out loud. His English was improving at a fast pace, fortunately for him. He then read through this chapter for the third time, expecting a pop quiz from Chase today. This chapter was rather complicated and used many terms Adel didn't quite comprehend just yet. Even through all this studying, Adel still had a chance of failing depending on how hard that quiz was. He can't fail that quiz. It would stain him.

After reading through and feeling satisfied that he knew enough, Adel packed his books and changed into his Caduceus uniform. He grabbed a banana and a bottle of water which will serve as a quick breakfast, and then he was off...

...where he would find out that failing that pop quiz would be better than what was to come.

* * *

Tyler had been trying to call Adel for so long now. He finally gave up and handed Angie's cell back to her.

"So? Did you manage to get to Adel?" Angie asked.

"Does it look like I did? I didn't even talk!"

Angie sighed. "I'm sorry, Tyler."

"It's alright. I'm sorry for snapping on you. I just really wanted to tell you the news when Adel got here. I feel that Adel should be here to hear the news at the same time you hear it, that's all."

Angie found this to be rather odd. After Derek had left, everyone, including Tyler (who has to be one of the most cheery people in all of Caduceus), had been thrown into a mild depression. Every day seemed almost grey. However, today, Angie noticed that Tyler seemed even more out of it than usual. He wasn't smiling at all and his sighs seemed deeper than usual. Any time he looked at Angie, his eyes seemed to almost look as though they were swimming in tears. The vibe Angie got from him by standing right beside him wasn't good at all.

The strangest thing of all was when Tyler had called Angie at five in the morning claiming that he had some urgent news and that she had to get down to Caduceus right away. Angie assumed that they were understaffed and there was an emergency patient, so she had bolted down to Caduceus on bike carrying all of the medical tools needed.

However, as soon as she had arrived at around 6, Tyler had been waiting out front asking if she had seen Adel. Of course, along the way, she hadn't, so the two went inside and tried to get a hold of him through Angie's cell.

What they didn't know was that Adel had already left the house and was on his long commute to Caduceus. Adel didn't have the money to get a cell phone just yet, so as of now, there was no way they could contact him.

"C'mon Tyler, just tell me the news." Angie pleaded. "I mean, it shouldn't be too bad if it wasn't an emergency patient in critical condition or something." At that phrase, Angie made sure to pound on a wooden table beside where they were speaking three times just in case.

"Angie... that's where you're wrong..."

Tyler told Angie what he had seen on the news this morning. As he explained, Angie's mood changed from a strict casual to shocked and scared. Angie's head gradually began to shake left in right as though she were trying to deny it. With each passing minute, the tears began to well up in her eyes and she was trying to hold them back, but immediately after Tyler had ended the tragic story, Angie gave up holding the tears back and released them, loudly bawling at the same time.

Others had overheard the news and immediately called their friends to come over to Caduceus as well due to the news they needed to share. Eventually, everyone came to work earlier than usual for the news, but as soon as they heard it, they regretted coming in so early.

* * *

As soon as Adel arrived, he realized that he wasn't the first one there. In fact, it seemed as though everyone had decided to arrive before him. As he entered the break room, there seemed to be a lot of commotion. Tyler wasn't up to his usual cheery disposition and Angie was shedding tears.

Out of instinct, Adel moved swiftly toward Angie to comfort her with a box of tissues in hand. He offered them to Angie and she thanked him softly. "What's wrong?" Adel inquired. "Why is Angie crying?"

"Y-you tell him, Ty-Tyler..." Angie sputtered out, choking on her own sobs.

Tyler nodded, and then looked Adel straight in the eye.  
"Have you seen the news lately?"

* * *

A few minutes later, everyone in the break room crowded around the TV as Tyler changed it to channel 7, the news.

A dramatic news jingle came on, then the intro.

BREAKING NEWS

The newscaster appeared next behind the desk. The newscaster was a woman apparently named Maria Greco. She looked all professional with her casual yet bland clothing. She clutched onto papers in her hand and then looked through the camera straight in the eye. It seemed as though she had been looking right in the eye of those who were watching.

"A freak accident on the freeway at four in the morning has caused great devastation. All east and west ways have been closed, so until the accident has cleared, no one will be able to pass through. As a result, there are major traffic jams all over the city..."

"_So this is what has caused Angie to cry?"_ Adel thought to himself. _"Traffic jams? Maybe that freeway is the only way she could get home..."_

"Keep watching, Adel." Tyler suddenly interrupted her train of thought.

"_...Tyler Chase can read minds?"_ was Adel's next thought.

"No, I can't read minds." Tyler sighed. "The first time, you murmured it out loud. This time, the thought was written all over your face."

"—_I would not do well in poker."_ Adel mentally retorted.

"No you wouldn't." Tyler concurred.

Adel sighed once more, then cast away his awe and wonder towards Tyler and continued to watch the news. This time, it was a reporter live on the scene.

"...As you can see, the damage is chaotic. All of this has been caused by a car that suddenly stalled in the middle of the road. It turns out that the origin of the crash had not started on the freeway at all, but on one of the exits. From there, it was a chain reaction and the result is the havoc you see here."

The camera swept through the scene and many people in the break room gasped.

"Fortunately, there were only two severe injuries that have been sent to the hospital. Many others have only minor injuries such as scrapes and bruises and most pedestrians weren't hurt. However, one unfortunate sap was unlucky enough to end up amidst the crash and was unfortunately killed on impact, then severely burned in the fire caused by a petrol tank that had been caught up amidst the crash. Further investigation shows that this pedestrian is known as 'Derek Stiles' according to some visible ID found on the body. If you have any further information on this man, please contact this number..."

The break room hung in a thick silence. No one dared spoke. They only knew one 'Derek Stiles' and many of them, the ones who didn't believe the news their colleagues had told them, prayed that it wasn't who they thought it was. However, Director Hoffman stepped into the room.

"I see all of you have seen it..." Hoffman said with a grave tone. "And what you are thinking is true. Our Derek was lost in that accident."

"NO!" Angie screamed hoarsely. She already knew the truth, considering that the freeway was rather close to Hope Hospital. "I won't believe it! I mean, what was Derek even doing walking on the exit of a freeway? Shouldn't he have been in some hospital trying to recuperate?"

Suddenly, Greg and Cybil entered the room from behind Director Hoffman. Everyone was surprised; they weren't expecting the couple to visit today.

"Angie..." Greg started. "Derek went missing yesterday. He and I had gotten into an argument and while we weren't looking, he escaped through a window. Considering the direction he was headed, though he was only a few kilometres away from Hope, we were sure he was headed for Caduceus."

"Well, why would he walk? Doesn't he have his keys to his car or money for public transportation otherwise?" Angie argued. She was desperate to prove that the man couldn't be Derek.

"We thought of that too." Cybil replied calmly. "But then we discovered by his bedside that he had left his keys there. His wallet was there too. The only thing they found on the corpse was his Caduceus ID, which he kept in his pocket the entire time. I'm sorry Angie, but we're pretty sure that's him. We have enough evidence to say so."

"NOOO!" Angie became frantic. The tears were clouding her vision and instead of stomping off to the door, she stumbled and crashed into Adel who had gotten up. Adel gently held onto Angie.

"It's going to be okay..." Adel whispered. He too was still in shock. His mentor was gone. The fire that burned brightly in his heart had suddenly been blown out by the news. He no longer had that deep motivation. As he whispered words to calm Angie down, he soon felt as though he was saying these words in order to calm himself down as well. In the end, Adel too ended up letting the tears flow freely from his eyes and onto Angie's hair. He hugged Angie even tighter now and Angie returned the favour.

The two of them were hugging each other in the middle of the room, tears flowing down, and all the others could do was watch and feel sorry for them. They had reason to be crying like that. Those two were most affected by Derek's sudden death: Derek's most trusted partner and Derek's pupil that could have almost been his own son.

Director Hoffman and Tyler somehow found their way beside each other. "Hey, can we see him?" Tyler whispered to Hoffman without taking an eye off Adel and Angie. "The body. I need to pay my final respects."

Hoffman nodded. "I think that would do everyone good." He then left the room, leaving everyone in silence to mourn for a great hero.

* * *

After a few phone calls and deals, Hoffman managed to persuade the officials to keep the body at Caduceus where everyone could pay their respects to the body which, though it was charred beyond recognition, clothed in Derek's clothing donated by his mother. The body was placed in a white coffin with the Caduceus insignia and the Healing Touch star engraved on the cover.

Many visitors came in to pay their due respects, the majority of them patients that Derek had personally saved. Angie spent her day off sitting by the coffin, watching as each person came in, flinched at the result of the body, said stuff, gave gifts, and then left with a solemn look. Some of the patients recognised Angie as Derek's assistant and had a few words with her too. All of them apologized, but Angie simply said thank you and that they needn't worry about her.

Eventually, Angie decided to finally go up the corpse of Derek's body, seeing that public visiting times were closed and no one would disturb her.

Angie finally had her first look at Derek's corpse. As she gazed at her fallen comrade, she realized just why everyone first flinched at the sight. The body was barely recognisable. Only tuffs of brown hair that have been charred at the tips remained on his scalp. The majority of the skin was burned severely. Angie looked away and tried hard to stop herself from barfing on the corpse.

Allowing the corpse to be seen like this wasn't protocol; Hoffman said so himself. The only reason he allowed people to see the body like this was because Derek would have wanted it that way. No matter what state he was in, people had a right to see the result, as long as they were warned beforehand.

As soon as Angie regained her composure, she traced Derek's closest arm down. She realized that there was still something on his left wrist. Angie pulled down the sleeve...

...And found the bracelet she had given Derek on their one year anniversary of their partnership.

Seeing this caused Angie to sob even more. It was hard stifling the tears caused by the sight of the body already, but seeing the bracelet that had somehow been untouched by the flames caused by the propane truck that crashed made Angie cry uncontrollably.

"D-Derek... it really is you..." Her tears soaked the sleeve of the corpse's tuxedo. "I had so much to say to you... but I guess I'm stuck keeping all of these feelings to myself." She didn't say another word as she stood by the coffin of her partner for what seemed like hours. All she did was think about everything she and Derek ad gone through and pray for him, knowing that Derek was watching. She figured that he might be able to read her mind, now that he was... She couldn't say the "d" word. Everything she needed to say was said in her mind which was the only way she felt she could privately contact Derek.

Eventually, Adel came in and told Angie to stop standing and take a seat. Angie was like a zombie and didn't even realize she was sitting down until Adel began to talk to Derek.

"Dr. Stiles. I'm sorry for what happened, but there is only one thing that has been disturbing me this entire time. I wanted to know the answer from you, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask you anyway, even though you are in this state."

Angie stopped sobbing. She wanted to hear what Adel had to say.

"Dr. Stiles, why didn't you use your Healing Touch on me during that operation?" Adel's lip quivered, but he stayed strong. "Did you think I wasn't... worthy? That I-I didn't deserve to be saved by your Touch?" Adel's voice was being choked up by tears and he needed to pause to try and regain at least some of his composure. The salty droplets made their way down Adel's face and plopped onto the corpse's face. Adel's fists clenched in an attempt to hold back the feelings, but in the end, the attempt was futile. "How could you do something like that to me?" he screamed in fury. Suddenly, Adel lifted his hand and was about to smack Derek in the face when he was stopped by Angie limply clutching on his arm.

Adel didn't notice her weakly walk beside him. He tried to look her in the eye, but her hair covered her face. "What's wrong, Angie?" Adel whispered softly.

"It wasn't his fault." Angie whispered back.

"What?"

"He lost his Healing Touch in the middle of your operation, Adel. It wasn't his fault. It's not that he _wouldn't_ use it but that he _couldn't_."

Adel was awestruck.  
All this time...

"...I'm sorry." was the only thing that managed to find its way out of Adel's open wide mouth. "I'm sorry I doubted you..."

Angie managed a small smile. It turns out that this is what has caused Adel's recent behaviour and that after this; he should be back to his normal self. Angie looked to Adel in the eye and Adel looked back.

"Adel..." Angie started.

"...yes?"

"Umm... since Derek is g-gone, I d-don't have a partner anymore. I was wondering, since you're studying to be a-a surgeon and all, if you would like me to be your p-partner in the operating room."

Adel didn't hesitate at his response and immediately nodded. "I-It would be an honour, Ms. Thompson." He too managed to give a smile in return. Adel then stepped out of the room, leaving Angie alone once more.

"Derek, just for you, Adel and I will save the world. Just for you." Angie took the bracelet off Derek's wrist and put it in her pocket. "Wish us luck from above."

She walked out of the room and into the night air. Time whisked by so fast. Angie held the bracelet up to her eye. The engravings that read "Derek" were still on the inside of it. This really was his and that meant that the body really was Derek.

Angie sighed. She couldn't know for sure. For some reason, she refused to give up hope that Derek was somehow still alive and that the body they had found wasn't her Derek at all. There was something nagging at her that there was a contradiction with the body, but because the body was too burned to identify the body through features, the only other reliable evidence was the Caduceus ID in his pocket which had only been mildly burned...

...and the bracelet.

She looked up into the sky.  
There was only a single star.

She knew there were probably more stars, but the pollution clouded the sky. The star she could see was the brightest of them all. It shone through the clouds of darkness to reach Angie's eye.

She traced a star with her finger in the sky, keeping the single real star in the center. She then smiled. "Derek, I kn-know you're still alive. You can't be dead. I can feel it. Please let this feeling be true."

She then walked off towards her apartment where she would have that same dream once more.

* * *

The funeral for Derek was glorious, despite the meaning of the day and the weather. It was cloudy and grey, but the sky was holding up. The first part of the funeral took place in the chapel where many news stations made sure to be there to film it. Even though Angie had a reserved seat along with the others on the Special Disease Counteraction Team, Adel, government officials, and Derek's family, she still couldn't help but wish she had a better seat. She looked behind her and saw all of the people that had attended. From the amount of people, it seemed as though the entire world wanted to come and watch Derek's funeral. Derek must have known that he had touched so many people's lives and used it as a reason to continue working without a complaint. Even if he was called in to operate on his day off, he didn't mind. Angie was amazed at his dedication, but she never knew that his dedication had helped THIS many people.

The funeral began by everyone rising up and listening to the trumpets blare out the national anthem. Army men had their rifles and shot into the air in accordance to the instructions given to them. More people carried in the coffin with the US flag over the cover towards the podium. Everyone then took a seat and a time for silent prayer and reflection began.

The speeches seemed to go on forever as everyone wanted a turn, but Angie didn't mind. Neither did anyone else. It was nice to listen to how others felt; they knew how much Derek Stiles meant to everyone else.

Finally, it was Angie's turn. She got up and explained her feelings of Derek and during operations (like how he could be so clumsy and such). She gave a story of this one time where Derek ended up using menthol rub instead of antibiotic gel and everyone laughed.

"Derek meant a lot to me. There are so many things I wanted to say to him, but I guess it's now or never." Angie turned to face the coffin and whispered.

"_I love you, Derek. I wish you were still alive so I could have told you that then."_

* * *

"_...I love you too, Angie." _

Angie gasped. She couldn't have just heard HIS voice... was she hallucinating? She looked around frantically in the crowd. Everyone started to murmur, asking each other why she was acting so strange all of the sudden. Clearly they never heard the voice that had spoken out, but somehow, Angie did. Angie scanned the crowd, but after her failed attempt, all she could do was crumple to the podium floor and cry. Tyler and Adel, the closest to the stage, helped Angie get down and escort her to her seat.

"What happened, Angie?" Adel asked with a concerned look on her face. Angie couldn't respond and simply cried even harder.

"I believe that she thinks she heard Derek after whispering whatever she did to the coffin." Tyler replied. "She was hallucinating."

"N-No I wasn't! I-I swear I h-heard his voice! It's the same voice as the one in my d-dreams!" She continued to cry, surprised both by how she just suddenly figured out whom that person was and that she still hadn't run out of tears considering how much she had cried over the past three days.

"So you were dreaming about Derek?" Tyler smirked.

For that, he received a punch in the face from Angie.

"Okay, I'm sorry." he replied as he rubbed his cheek to soothe out the pain. He was definitely going to feel that in the morning.

* * *

Tyler and Adel continued to comfort Angie while the others watched as the coffin passed through the crowd once more to get outside towards Derek's grave, the American flag boldly covering it. As soon as the coffin passed by, the crowd would follow behind to continue watching. There was probably only one other person other than the three who wasn't watching the coffin procession and remained in the church, still hidden.

And that man wouldn't have it any other way.

The man was a Caucasian male who looked as though he was 40 but really was only 28. He had raven black hair with patches of grey (both on his head and face... the moustache was mainly what made him look older than he really was), a matching umbrella (which would be used to shield himself from anyone who became overly suspicious of his disguise... there was no rain), a jet black tuxedo and dress pants. The tuxedo looked expensive, but he had been lucky that the company he had been working for was generous and gladly paid for the costs of his clothing and transportation. He was living in style.

Though this style didn't matter because the only thing that would make Derek Stiles truly comfortable was to be with Angie and tell her the truth.

He also wished that he could take off this pathetic disguise; the fake moustache fibres kept going up his nose and making it itchy. The wig was okay, but its synthetic hairs kept coming off and dropping off onto Derek's shoulder. If this kept up for another two hours, Derek was just sure that he would be bald. Last on the list of complaints, he now realized that he would do anything for his glasses back. Contacts suck; they make his eyes water, then feel dry. They were irritating and it would be of great annoyance if he were in the middle of an operation with these things on his eyes and one of them decides to fall out of his eye and into the patient.

He came to see how his own funeral turned out. It was an interesting concept. The dead man in the coffin was supposed to be him; or at least that's how everyone was treating him. He had been there the entire funeral and made sure to absorb the feelings of everyone there. It was true he was loved very much by so many people. These are the people that Derek had been fighting to protect and save.

And what he was doing now was a way for him to continue saving these people.

He couldn't care less about the body in the coffin. Apparently, the body just happened to be someone with almost the same features as Derek, except he had died earlier that day in a terrible fire on the other side of Angeles Bay. The HOA took him off that scene and planted him in the scene where the planned car crash was to take place. They then caused the crash themselves by driving a car via remote control off a freeway ramp, then suddenly stopping it where "Derek" was. Then, the poor sap behind that car would crash, and then a chain reaction. Of course, all of this was controlled and no one would be too hurt. The ones that were severely hurt were taken in by the HOA and Derek operated on them himself.

He continued to watch his beloved partner weep in a sea of tears, Adel and Tyler trying to comfort her. By the look of things, however, it seemed as though their comfort wasn't working.

"_The only thing to get her to stop crying..."_ Derek thought. _"...is to see me."_

The coffin finally made it to the grave. At this point, Tyler, Adel, and Angie led each other out of the church, Derek and Mercer (who had accompanied him) right behind, still inconspicuous to the open eye. Everyone turned to watch the coffin as it was prepared to be lowered six feet under the ground while the pastor was giving it a final prayer.

"...A saviour to all he had touched. The legacy of Derek Stiles is one to be closely remembered as his presence was one who touched the hearts of those around the world, both emotionally and literally."

This sure was one corny pastor.

The pastor ended and the lowering of the coffin began. Derek didn't watch it go down because the thought of how it was supposed to be him in that coffin stung. He was hurting so many people by doing this; everyone he loved was affected. He wanted to stop the lowering of the coffin and claim that the man in the coffin wasn't him and he was alive, but something like that would result in a national incident.

But he knew there was at least one person who believed in him.  
And she was a strong woman who he loved with all his life.

Derek looked back at Mercer, who was focused on the coffin like everyone else. He decided that now would be the perfect opportunity. Derek made his way through the crowd, making sure to lose Mercer so he didn't know what he was going.

He found his way beside Angie, Tyler and Adel on the other side of her, all three of them focused on the lowering of the coffin.

It was now or never.  
This was the only chance he would get to say his last words to _her_.

Eventually, the coffin was lowered and the men began to put dirt into the hole and bury it. The pastor continued, but no one really noticed. There was a surge in the crowd as everyone moved to throw their roses into the hole before it was completely buried.

"Do you want to throw your rose in, Angie?" Tyler whispered slowly and carefully, hoping not to make her cry right after she had managed to get a hold of her tears.

Angie looked at him with red eyes. "I'll wait until everyone has done so. I want to be the last one to do it." Her throat felt sticky and her eyes were burning. It was a strange feeling to talk in this situation.

Tyler nodded in compliance and the two watched as each person threw the rose, and then left the cemetery. Eventually, there was only a small crowd of people remaining.

Mercer noticed that Derek was no longer beside him and as soon as he found him, he walked over to him.

"Derek, we have to leave now." Mercer whispered, not even noticing the people beside the new HOA doctor.

Derek nodded, and then looked to his new boss. "Can I take this disguise off? It's rather irritating..."

"Yes, it should be fine now." Mercer looked towards the limo waiting for them, the driver anxiously waving to Mercer hinting that someone was calling for him on the phone. "I'll meet you at the limo." Mercer sighed. He then walked off ahead of Derek to take the phone call.

Derek then took off his wig and moustache. A light cold breeze whipped through his free hair, blowing off any remaining wig hairs. The breeze felt refreshing on his now moustache-free face. He took out his contacts and stuffed them into his pocket while replacing them with his own glasses.

His eyes felt good to be alive.

Derek took a deep breath in.  
He needed to build up the courage...

He turned to Angie and whispered in her ear, "The bracelet was on the wrong wrist."

And with that, umbrella in hand considering that a light drizzle had started, Derek walked over to the limo, knowing that this might just be the last time he was ever that close to Angie ever again.

* * *

"_The bracelet was on the wrong wrist."_

Angie had been looking down at her rose, wondering what to say when she threw it when suddenly that voice...

...Derek's voice.

She immediately jerked her head up and looked towards Tyler and Adel, who were talking to each other, once again unaware of what she had just heard. She thought that they might have been the ones who said it. She thought that they were playing a cruel joke on her to make her think she was "hallucinating" again.

She scanned the crowd once more and this time, her eyes landed on one person. He looked as though he had the same build and height as Derek, but she wasn't sure because the black umbrella had been covering most of the man's body. The suit was also rather expensive and she knew that there was no way Derek would buy something like that (no offence, Derek).

She didn't want to mistake him for someone else. She knew that Derek was dead... there was no way...  
Yet her mind couldn't deny the possibility that the body that had been buried wasn't Derek after all. One contradiction that had been bugging her was finally brought to fruition.

_He_ told her.  
She was sure that she heard Derek's voice. There was no mistaking it.

She continued to keep her eyes on the man, hoping for some kind of clue. She couldn't help but bore holes into his umbrella and the back of his head. Tyler noticed and made a joke that Angie had found love at first sight, but she didn't even notice.

Suddenly, a strong wind swept up, causing the umbrella to blow a bit to the side. It revealed a little bit of the back of the man's head.

He had the same messy brown hair as Derek.

"Derek!" Angie suddenly found herself calling out.

Hearing this, the man stopped in his tracks. Unbeknownst to Angie, the man smiled to himself, and then continued walking.

Angie suddenly started running towards him, but it was too late. The man made it to the limo with Mercer inside. He stepped in, and before Angie could catch at least a glimpse of his face, he closed the door and the limo drove off.

Tyler and Adel caught up to her. "What was that for?" Tyler exasperated. "Are you insane?"

Adel simply stayed by Angie's side and slung an arm over her. "You thought you saw Dr. Stiles, didn't you?"

Angie simply nodded.  
There was nothing else she could do.

She was all alone.

* * *

A/N: Oh noes, that was a poorly written chapter! I guess I'm not as good at writing depressing chapters like this as I thought. I'm sorry if the funeral description was off, but luckily for me, I haven't been to a funeral before. Basically, all I did was guess...

I feel kinda bad for Angie.  
If only she knew how right she was.

And I bet all of you are probably thinking, "Well, for Derek's last words, why didn't he just say that he was still alive and that the body wasn't him instead of having to be all mysterious?"

Well, my explanation is simply, "SHADDUP! I need to leave Angie in the dark about the full truth and make sure she has to work to discover the truth. Besides, if Derek said that, she would think she was a lot more mentally unsound than she thought! I mean, if she tried to tell people what she heard, then people would discredit her even further! Then the plot would get nowhere and I would be story-less, and would you, as readers, want that?"

Which reminds me... you know what this means! If I uploaded this chapter, this means that the chapter after this is complete.  
And because the next chapter is my awesome surprise...  
=D  
that's right! I just need to finish the following chapter and ta-da! This time around, the updates will come sooner! I PROMISE! (And as a kid with good morals, I don't break my promises... and I can't cross my fingers without typing! ;D)

**Derek**: My hair is hawt! =3 Girls chase after me because of it! XD  
**Me**: ...True. *throws muddy boot at Derek's hair*  
**Derek**: Aw! Hey, you got mud in my beautiful hair!  
**Me**: I know, so shut up and go wash it, pretty boy!  
**Derek**: I am pretty, aren't I?  
**Me**: =( *holds up second muddy boot* These things come in pairs, remember?  
**Derek**: Kyaaah! *runs away*  
**Me**: BOOT TO THE HEAD! *whips boot*

* * *

Anyways, if you people really are reading this, then I need to tell you that I have an excuse as to why I may take a little longer to update later on. You see, my friends and I have started a new Youtube group called "ilikebamboo". Our debut video is up and I was kinda hoping to get some attention by putting this on here, so please check out my profile because all of the links are there. =)

Please subscribe because we need to know if we can attract enough attention like this... we're in the middle of another vid (which will certainly improve quality-wise considering all of the bad remarks we're receiving) and we need ALL of the support we can get... because like fanfiction authors who get a lot of their motivation from the reviews that get from their readers (please review), Youtube groups get a lot of their motivation from the amount of people who watch their video, so PLEASE support the cause! =)

~PXLight~


	4. The Foaly Method Part 1

**Disclaimer**: Trauma Center and its characters and such do not belong to me. I am just the random fan that decided to use her imagination for the enjoyment of others.

A/N: And here I am once more, bringing you Chapter Four (AND FIVE) of "Lost Hope"! *applause* That's right! My surprise to you all was a DOUBLE UPDATE! ^^ Anyways, this story has achieved a pretty good pace, but as long as I don't have a beta-reader, I'm stuck proof-reading and editing myself with my own skills (which suck...). School has also started up again and I've been rather busy during the weekdays, but because homework sucks, I use my procrastination skills to work on this story! =D

THIS IS WHERE MY PRE-MEDITATED TORTURE TO DEREK BEGINS.

But now that I think about it, the following isn't necessarily torture, per se.  
But it does hurt Derek's lovable character in a metaphorical sense.  
And I have the feeling Angie in this story is having a rougher time than Derek anyways...

**AGAIN, THIS FANFIC HAS BEEN RATED "T" FOR A REASON... THE PLOT WILL GET A BIT DARK AND RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER, THERE'S MENTION OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AND BLOOD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**

And yes, Timothy Grey, who is a star in the upcoming chapters, is the same doctor who was with Adel all of those times Derek and Angie ran into Adel when he was working for the HOA in the actual game and when he ends up in need of an operation due to aneurisms in his brain (and that's where we learn that Derek is no ordinary surgeon... he's also a frikin' BRAIN SURGEON! =O ...Yes, there's a difference!). I know that Timothy's real last name was spelled "Gray" with an "a", but me, being all Canadian, can't get out of the habit of spelling the word/name with an "e". So in the end, I gave up due to the overdose of mistakes and frustrations and just ended up spelling "grey" with an "e"... DON'T MOCK ME!

OOC-ness was MEANT to happen!

I reveal so much in these notes... *sigh*

So go on!  
Read!

Please enjoy responsibly.

* * *

_This chapter takes place approximately one month after Derek's "death"_

Tonight was a dreamless night. Even so, Derek still woke up in the middle of said night drenched in a cold sweat.

It was rather frustrating to wake up in this situation. He jolted out of bed, his heart rate up and his eyes darting left and right in search of some form of danger. His body read fear, but his mind detected no signs of anything to be so scared about.

These days, Derek slept in a luxury suite provided by the HOA. He had a magnificent wide-open view with humungous windows. Occasionally, Derek would look out and almost be terrified of falling twenty stories down to the ground due to just how vast the windows were. Every time he absorbed the view and looked below him, he seemed to feel every one of those twenty stories come rushing up causing him to stumble back.

Even with the big windows, Derek knew that there was no way any harm could fall on him while residing in this suite. The windows were bulletproof if anyone somehow discovered that Derek was still alive and wanted to harm him through the window (sniper shot?). The walls, though rather elegant with a deep red coating of semi-glossy paint and golden fixtures on the wall, had enough strength to withstand a C4 explosion from anywhere. The sliding doors in the apartment too were as strong as the walls, yet display a modern design of mahogany and two brass bars that run horizontally, cutting the wood into thirds.

And amidst all this high quality protection, Derek still somehow woke up in fear.

There was only one more reason he could think of as to why he would wake up with such a fright: his dreams.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on what point of view you look at the situation at), he has been unable to remember what took place in these dreams and was forced to simply take a breather and force himself to go back to sleep.

Tonight, Derek got up and stretched. He hadn't bothered to change before collapsing onto the bed that night, so he still had his HOA uniform and scrubs underneath on. The memory foam mattress tried to lure him back in, but Derek knew well that trying to go back to sleep right now would just lead him back to his dark nightmare-infested abyss of terror that would either shock him awake once more or mercifully allow him to wake up to sunlight.

Derek grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and walked into the kitchen (which was honestly only there for the sake of having a kitchen... Derek can't cook). He didn't bother turning on any lights because all he wanted to do was grab himself a drink. He was already used to walking through the apartment; he had memorized and engraved the steps needed to get around a while back. He opened the fridge, letting the cold air escape. The small light that illuminated the contents of the fridge allowed Derek to spot what he was looking for, a nice bottle of red wine.

He took the bottle, grabbed a glass, and took his place by the loveseat that had been set by the wide window. The lights were still off, but Derek could see well enough to pour the blood red wine into his wine glass. The moonlight was all he needed. He then set the bottle onto the glass coffee table in front of him, and then took his place on the loveseat couch.

Derek had been drinking a lot more often lately. The alcohol allowed him to doze off a lot easier instead of lying awake for what seemed like hours, tussling and switching positions to find the one that would allow him the gift of sleep.

He raised the glass to propose a silent toast to the moon, and then downed the entire glass right there. He then poured himself another glass, sighed, and drank.

Eventually, Derek glanced at the time with sleepy eyes after finishing about five glasses of the alcoholic beverage. The clock read 3:10. He knew he should probably try and get some sleep now, considering that he had work tomorrow, but it required energy to get off the seat and walk to the bedroom and energy was something Derek was lacking.

Derek swung his head to the side and looked at a picture of him, Angie, and all of the other people at Caduceus. It was a group photo taken right after their triumph over Delphi. The second photo beside it was a photo of him and Angie on the Tokyo Tower.

The doctor gave a drunken smile at the photos.  
Those were good times.

Then he remembered that all that was lost.  
He was a ghost now. A former shadow of himself.

Derek gently lifted the first photo up with his free hand, the other hand allowing Derek to take yet another sip of his wine. His hand was shaky as it held the picture closer so Derek could get a better look.

All of the smiling faces stared right at him.  
But then suddenly, they frowned at him.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Derek asked the picture, his voice slurred. He downed the remaining contents of the glass, and then poured his seventh cup before looking back at the picture.

"_Why did you leave us?"_ the picture asked. The voice that came out sounded like everyone in the picture was whispering simultaneously in a rather distorted manner.

All Derek could do was cringe.  
All of his friends were mad at him.

"I'm sorry, you guys. But I'm a doctor... I want to save lives." Derek replied, a hint of hurt in his voice.

There was a long silence. Derek continued to look at the picture with a thick foggy gaze, awaiting a response. Finally, there was a response, but it was rather unpleasant. Unfortunately, his friends in the picture didn't agree with Derek's statement. _"You're a traitor!" _the voices cried out. _"You left us!" "We thought you were dead! You hurt us!" "You're not saving anybody!" "You're just there for your own selfish reasons... to get your Healing Touch back!" "You don't care about anybody else but yourself!"_

There was more silence.  
Then Derek burst.

"YOU'RE LYING!" he bellowed. Derek suddenly got up and whipped the picture frame fiercely across the room and the frame crashed into a wall. The wall was strong enough, so there was no dent, but the paint chipped and scratched as the glass broke on impact and the shards cascaded to the ground. The picture of everyone smiling became silent.

The sound of the glass shattering snapped Derek out of his temper tantrum. He put down the glass of wine in his hand onto the coffee table and silently walked over to the broken picture frame. He picked up a clump of the glass and balled his hand into a fist, causing the glass to cut him and cause him to start bleeding.

Derek dropped the glass in surprise.  
He didn't expect it to hurt.

The doctor then bent down and picked up the photo. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he stared at photo. Everyone was back to their smiling faces, yet this fact caused Derek to cry even more. "You're lying..." he sobbed quietly. "I-I'm doing this for e-everyone else... I-I'm not s-selfish."

Droplets of blood fell onto the picture. Oddly enough, the biggest one splashed over Angie's face. Seeing this, Derek smiled to himself.

"Red never did look good on you, Angie." he said. He then led the blood down his finger and hovered it above the picture so that it splashed on everyone's face but his in the picture. "Red doesn't look good on any of you." Derek chuckled. He then looked at the photo of himself and almost started a staring contest between the picture and him. There was another long silence.

Derek then crumpled to the floor into the pile of glass, one of the glass shards nearly poking his eye out. He began to dry heave a bit, then mercifully fainted out of either blood loss or the alcohol.

The picture fell out of his hand.

The last thoughts he had were simple.

He was a ghost now. The Derek in the picture is not the same Derek, a worthless shivering pile of ruin, curled up on the floor. There was no way he could regain the life he once had there, nor did he expect to do so. There no way he could avoid the regret of losing everything, but the only thing that kept he him going was thought of soon getting his Healing Touch back and being able to save everyone once more.

And then everything went black.

* * *

Chapter Four: The Foaly Method (Part 1)

Mercer himself knocked on the door at nine in the morning. He was the only one he could trust to know about Derek's secret, so instead of sending someone else to come down and get Derek, he was willing to do it himself.

Today was strange. Derek was usually out of his apartment and at work by seven sharp, but now he was about two hours late.

"Derek, open the door!" Mercer called out while knocking. He stopped knocking and listened for a response, but he didn't hear anything. He then rang the doorbell three times in a row. "Derek, you're late for work! Stop sleeping in!" There was still no response.

Mercer sighed. "If you don't respond right now, Stiles, I'll have to resort to barging in." The man waited three minutes, and after no result, he took out his cardkey, swiped it, and slid the door open.

And that's how he found Derek on the floor amongst glass in a pool of his own blood.

* * *

A few minutes later, paramedics arrived and placed Derek on a stretcher to get him to the HOA headquarters immediately. Derek was registered in the hospital under the name of "Daemon Sadahiro", the name Derek chose himself and agreed that it would be the name he would go by in public. He wanted to keep the same initials as his original name, but also made sure that his name was odd enough so people didn't notice the similarity between it and "Derek Stiles".

Mercer, on the other hand, had been barking orders as soon as they arrived. He had his own personal forensics team examine the apartment for any signs of attack or attempt to harm Derek. At the same time, he called Timothy Grey, one of his top surgeons in training, over to the scene while getting his other associates to cover up what happened so it didn't get released into public.

Timothy Grey was only 29 years old with slicked back brown hair and amazing chestnut eyes. He was new to the program and the first qualified to gain the artificial Healing Touch as soon as the research was completed. He had joined the HOA two weeks after Derek's fake death and has already been able to prove his competence in this line of work. He doesn't have the Healing Touch yet (considering that there is still more research and training needed), but he's working for it. Ever since then, he, along with a few other candidates, has been training under their mentor, Derek, or in this case, Daemon. He still had a lot to learn about the Healing Touch and surgery, but he had a lot of natural talent that the HOA was lucky to find.

He and Derek became rather close friends in the HOA. The two have a close bond; it seemed as though the talent Timothy had managed to attract Derek and from there, the trust and friendship built. Mercer took note of this and this is one of the main reasons as to why he had chosen him for the job. The two worked well with each other, considering how much Timothy had improved in surgery ever since he had been taught under Derek. Derek always had a smile on his face any time Timothy was around, unlike the other students who seemed as though the only thing on their minds was surgery and they had no time for the other nice stuff in life. They never seemed to smile and hardly talked freely amongst each other, let alone to Derek.

Once Timothy made it over, he was shocked to find the disaster in Derek's apartment.

"Why did you call me over, President Mercer?" Timothy asked. "Was someone hurt from whatever happened here?"

"Yes, Dr. Grey. The resident of this apartment, Dr. Sadahiro, was injured and is suffering from severe blood loss. I need you to operate on him."

"You need me... to operate on Dr. Sadahiro?" Timothy said slowly.

Mercer nodded. "Is there something wrong?"

"Well, it's just that this will mean that I have to operate on my professor..."

"If you are going to let these kinds of feelings prevent you from doing your job, then I should call in a different surgeon and release you."

"No, no, no. Please let me perform the operation. It would be an honour."

"Very well. Get yourself to HOA HQ immediately and the nurse will provide you with the charts and the rest of the details."

Timothy nodded and was about to run, but then he immediately stopped himself and looked back. "Thank you, President Mercer, for this opportunity. I won't let you down."

And then he was off.

* * *

Timothy got off the taxi and sprinted into the HOA HQ. He scrubbed up while quickly looking at the charts the nurse, a girl of Asian origin only 24 years of age provided him. Her name was Mira Sakami.

"Mira, how's Dr. Sadahiro?" Timothy asked as the two of them fast-walked down the hall to the operating rooms. He was rather worried, so he didn't want to waste too much time on the briefing.

"He's just barely stable and his blood pressure is rather low." Mira replied, not even looking up to meet Timothy's eyes. "There are lacerations and glass shards in his hands and other shards in his side which is the main reason for the blood loss. He also has a rather high alcohol level in his blood."

"Will that mean anything during the operation?"

"Well, the body will continue to reject the overdose of alcohol in his system and cause him to convulse. If that happens, please halt the procedure and wait till it's over. Then continue."

"Alright, sounds simple enough." Timothy chuckled. Mira glared at him back and the surgeon sighed. "Can't you take a joke?" he replied.

The two then entered the operating room where the anaesthesiologist, Derek's unconscious body, and another doctor awaited.

Timothy put on a pretty sad face at the sight of his crippled mentor. An IV and blood bag was attached along with a heart monitor and other machines. He was already intubated and the anaesthesia was already being administered. Timothy had no choice but to start the operation immediately.

Just before Timothy started, he looked at his operation field and noticed that his mentor had a scar that went across his heart. _"He had a recent heart operation?"_ he thought to himself quickly. _"Your heart, alcohol abuse, and this... Dr. Sadahiro, what's wrong?"_

Mira glared at Timothy. "We have to start now, Dr. Grey! The anaesthesia can only last for so long!"

"Right! Let's begin the operation!" Timothy declared. He put on his mask and pulled his gloves down for dramatic effect and then grabbed the forceps and sutures from the nurse. He gently guided the glass shards embedded in Derek's hand out and placed them on the tray Mira provided. He then cross-stitched the lacerations and rubbed a bit of antibiotic gel on the areas where the glass shards used to be.

Derek's body suddenly started to convulse violently. Mira and Timothy quickly grabbed onto his arms to prevent him from jerking around too much and causing more injury to himself. _"For a person who's supposed to be 'asleep', he sure does move a lot."_ Timothy thought to himself.

Derek dry heaved a little before his body slumped onto the operating table once more. Timothy noticed Derek's unusually ragged breathing and that there was a bit of bloody sputum released from his heaving.

"_I have to hurry..."_ Timothy thought. As soon as they were sure Derek wouldn't convulse soon, Timothy quickly removed the remaining glass shards in the other hand and fixed up the remaining lacerations. He then removed other glass shards on his mentor's side, fixed those lacerations, then rubbed antibiotic gel onto Derek's side and made his incision to begin operating on the inside.

"So this is what's causing all of these problems..." Timothy sighed. There was a giant glass shard that had punctured and now was jammed in the lung. Mira handed Timothy the drain and he drained the blood. Then, with the forceps, Timothy lifted the glass (that was the length of the picture frame) out, making sure to follow Derek's breathing patterns (up and down). Eventually it was out and Timothy sighed in relief as he looked at the now rising vitals.

"Vitals are now stabilizing, Doctor." Mira stated clearly.

"That's good."

The surgeon sutured the laceration, and then finished up the operation by suturing the incision and applying antibiotic gel and a bandage.

"Operation complete." Timothy smiled at himself, satisfied with the result. He managed to save his beloved mentor and the two of them will be able to talk to one another like normal friends once more. Everyone completed any final procedures before leaving the room to get out of their scrubs and continue any other duties they need to do until the day was over and they could go home.

* * *

Timothy, on the other hand, wanted to make sure that his mentor would be fine, so after getting back into uniform, he spent his lunch break by his mentor's side.

"—you know he probably won't wake up for a few more hours, right Doctor?" Mira suddenly spoke up in the silence, surprising Timothy.

"Oh, Mira! I never saw you there!" Timothy gave her a warm smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Doctor. Thank you." Mira replied, keeping a cool and calculated face on. She then looked to the patient and thought about something in her head.

"Anything wrong?" Timothy caught her thinking and she quickly snapped out of it.

"Oh, nothing." she replied. "It's just that... his face. I think I've read of him somewhere before, but I just can't put my finger on it."

Timothy looked at his sleeping mentor's face. Now that he thought about it, the man DID look like someone he had read about; quite recently, as a matter of fact. "Wait a second, I'll be right back." Timothy suddenly said as he got up off his chair and walked out of the room. Mira checked the patient's status as she waited for Timothy to come back.

When he did come, there was a textbook in his hand. "Here, I knew I've seen him from somewhere. He looks just like this guy." He showed the picture in the textbook to Mira. Mira looked at it, and then looked back at the patient in front of them.

"This is the person I was talking about." Mira was surprised by the similarities. "What's the guy's name in the book...?" She lifted the book out of Timothy's hands and read the name out loud. "...Derek Stiles."

"Wait, isn't that the guy who defeated GUILT?" Timothy asked Mira.

"Yeah, but I heard that he died in that freak accident on the freeway about a month ago. It's a shame... he was a medical prodigy."

While the two were deep in thought about how "Daemon" looked so much like the picture of Derek in the textbook when Derek himself stirred in bed and finally regained consciousness.

* * *

His vision was swimming all over the place as he struggled to sit up on his bed. He tried using his arms, but his hands were burning due to the cuts and stitches that still needed to recover. He hissed in pain and fell back onto his side when that too began to burn really bad. This time, he yelped.

"Kyaah!"

"Dr. Sadahiro!"

Timothy jumped to his mentor's side. Derek groaned in pain.

"Whaa... who?" Derek muttered under his breath. Then he remembered that he had to use his alias, Daemon Sadahiro, in HOA.

But he didn't even remember how he got here.

Timothy slipped on Derek's glasses onto his face. As soon as they were on, Derek could see that he was in a recovery room with his favourite pupil Timothy and a nurse (who he didn't know the name of... they had never met before).

"Hello Dr. Sadahiro. My name is Mira Sakami and I am your nurse for today." Mira introduced herself and bowed in respect.

"Ah. And I'm De—". Derek choked on his words. He pretended to dry heaved to cover it up, but it turns out that a dry heave was coming for him anyway and he had to wait until the fit was over before he could speak. "...Dr. Daemon Sadahiro. It's nice to meet you."

"Would you like a cup of water, Dr. Sadahiro?" Timothy quickly asked. He didn't like seeing his beloved mentor in pain.

"Umm... yes please. Thanks, Timothy." Derek gave him a warm smile and watched as he left the room, leaving him and Mira alone in the room. There was an awkward silence before Derek smiled at her and asked, "Umm, if you don't mind me by asking, but how exactly did I end up in here?"

"You mean you don't remember anything?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"Oh, well, it would be better if someone more suitable were to explain it to you. I've only heard rumours that may or may not be true."

"So you don't really know, do you?" Derek complied. He sighed to himself, and then slumped back onto his pillow. His head was pounding and right side and hands hurt. He was having a little trouble breathing as well. "Ugh... this sucks." He chuckled to himself.

"I see why you and Timothy get along so well."

Derek looked up. Mira was actually smiling.

"What do you mean?"

"For one, the two of you sure do enjoy laughing at your own jokes."

"Haven't you heard?" Derek then stared Mira straight in the eye with a stern look. In a serious voice he said, "If you really want to live, you have to laugh." The two continued to stare at each other in a thick silence that could be cut through with a knife. Their looks were dead serious. Then gradually, smiles involuntarily grew on each other's faces until the two of them began to laugh with each other.

"Wow, you sure do remind me of another nurse I used to know." Derek sighed. "She was so uptight, but after a while, she loosened up and actually became fun to be around. You need to loosen up a little more. Learn to love your job if you want to enjoy life."

"Thank you for the advice, Doctor." Mira replied, her eyes glowing. "No wonder you're the best professor in HOA. I would love to assist you in one of your operations someday."

"No problem." Derek replied. Timothy suddenly walked in with two cups of coffee and a cup of water. When he noticed the two people smiling at each other, he couldn't help but smile himself.

"What the hell did I miss?"

He then handed out the drinks. The water was given to Derek while Mira had one of the cups of coffee.

"Okay, so you two get coffee, but good ol' Professor Sadahiro gets plain ol' water?" Derek joked. The other surgeon and nurse laughed a bit knowing full well that Derek was only allowed water until the he was out of Intensive Care and the three of them drank their respective drinks. The water ran down Derek's throat and was refreshing. He never knew he was so thirsty.

He continued to drink and probably would have finished the rest if it weren't for Mira gasping.

"What's wrong, Ms. Sakami?" Timothy looked genuinely worried. Mira grinned back at him, and then lifted her eyebrow in wonder.

"How did you know I like my coffee like this?" she asked quietly.

Timothy chuckled and gave her a cheesy grin. "I didn't. That's the same way I like my coffee too." The two looked at each other with a questioning look on their face. This was the first time the two had even met and yet, there was a click. The two moved in closer to each other in awe and wonder when—

"—AHEM!" Derek closed his eyes and cleared his throat. The two jerked away from each other, blushing. Derek then burst out laughing, but then his right side started to burn again and he clutched it in pain.

"Oh, Dr. Sadahiro, you should rest." Timothy suggested with a little tinge of annoyance. He flashed Derek a little frown and Derek couldn't resist but flash him a devious smile back. He knew what was going to happen, but he didn't really want to see it.

Mira made her way out the door. "I'll see you next operation, Dr. Grey." She gave him a kind look and walked off.

As soon as Timothy was sure Mira was out of range, he glared at his mentor. "Why did you have to do that? Didn't you see that we were about to kiss?" he groaned.

"Ha, well, of course I knew that. Why do you think I stopped you?" was Derek's response. Timothy moaned and Derek simply chuckled. "Respect your elders, Dr. Grey."

"But aren't you younger than me, Mr. Medical Prodigy who apparently wanted to be a professor of medicine instead of pursuing a career in surgery?"

"Well, you're right about the age comment, but I sure do have one hell of a kick-ass long name!"

A man then suddenly came into the room. He was in an expensive tuxedo, hinting that he was one of Mercer's important associates or something. "Mr. Mercer would like to have a word with Dr. Sadahiro."

Timothy sighed in disappointment, and then nodded. "Alright, let me grab a wheelchair for Dr. Sadahiro then." Timothy then walked out of the room to do just that.

While the man waited outside, Derek wondered what he was doing here in the first place. Maybe that's what Mercer wanted to talk to him about.

Derek then looked around the room. It hasn't been too long since he found himself in the recovery ward after undergoing surgery. The first time was when he had those two strains of GUILT in his heart and Naomi had to surgically remove them. The same burning sensation had been around his heart once... this time, it was around his right lunch and hands.

He moved his leg and accidentally kicked something hard. Out of curiosity, he clutched the item with his toes and pulled it up so he could see it. He found that it was Timothy's textbook. The textbook was opened up to a certain page. As Derek gazed at it, he frowned, wrinkles on his forehead formed due to deep concern.

He was staring at a picture of himself.  
And an entire biography followed.

As he gazed at the picture, he couldn't help but wonder if Mira and Timothy figured it out. Then again, they never asked, so he couldn't know for sure. While reading his life story in the textbook and noticing major inconsistencies with the real story (it wasn't hand sanitizer he accidentally used as antibiotic gel but menthol rub!), Timothy wheeled in the wheelchair used to transport Derek to the board room.

Seeing that his mentor was reading the textbook, Timothy chuckled a bit then went over to his side. Derek noticed and frantically closed the book, but Timothy managed to catch a glance at the page he was reading.

"Can you believe just how similar you and that Stiles guy look? You two could be identical twins!" Timothy looked at his mentor with the smile of a young child who just got candy.

Derek simply looked away.  
Seeing that his mentor wasn't laughing along with him, he stopped smiling and looked at him in concern. "Is there something wrong, sir?"

"No, it's fine." Derek sighed. "Shouldn't I be getting somewhere?" Derek managed to get himself on the wheelchair while Timothy helped set up the IV fluid and blood transfusion for Derek. Timothy thought it was a pain having to drag an ill patient when the superiors could have just spared him and his mentor the trouble and come down there themselves. However, he couldn't argue against what they wanted to do and wheeled Derek down up to the top floor where the boardrooms were.

* * *

"I believe I can take it from here, Dr. Grey. Thank you for your assistance." Derek looked at his pupil and gave him a reassuring smile. Timothy chuckled slightly.

"Take care, Dr. Sadahiro." Timothy then went back in the direction of the elevator to get back down to where he needed to be while Derek wheeled himself towards the boardroom. His hands went through a lot of physical pain at the time and Derek grunted every time he had to push himself forward, but he wasn't too far away.

When he entered the boardroom, only Mercer was there. Derek had been expecting more people, but he figured that the matter was a lot more important than he thought.

"You called for me, President Mercer?" Derek asked.

"Ah yes. Thank you for coming." Mercer gestured to a spot across from him on the far side of the rather long table and Derek took his place.

"Umm, I know I may seem out of place by asking this, but are you able to tell me what happened that caused me to be in this... state?" Derek suddenly brought up. "I don't seem to remember anything about last night or even waking up this morning."

"I assumed you would have remembered and I was hoping that you would be able to confirm it yourself, but I guess that's not an option." Mercer looked down at his briefcase and pulled out a bunch papers and files. They were all labelled "TOP SECRET" in bold red ink on the front of the covers. He took a glance at a few of the papers, and then looked up at the fatigued Derek.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"The beginning, if you mind."

Mercer nodded. "Alright then. Anyways, when I found out that you were two hours late for work, which is rather unusual for you, I myself went to check on you personally. However, after you didn't respond, I was forced to forcefully enter." Mercer pulled out a picture that was taken just before Derek was sent to the hospital. "This was the state I found you in."

"Wh—What happened to me?" Derek especially took note at how much blood had pooled around him, all of that his.

"I will get to that, now be patient." Mercer replied. "I sent a team from HOA to personally pick you up in order to prevent sending you to a public hospital and the investigation falling into the police's hands. I had my own forensics team search your apartment for any form of attack or an attempt to harm you."

"Someone was trying to harm me?" Derek thought out loud. It just slipped out of his mind. "But why?"

"Actually, it turns out that no one was trying to harm you Derek." Mercer cut in through his thoughts. "We discovered that all of this damage was caused by... you."

"What? That's preposterous!" Derek exclaimed. He nearly slammed the desk in response, but stopped himself to avoid any more pain to his hands. If he wasn't careful, the wounds could rip open. "If that was caused by me, then give me proof!"

"That's simple." Mercer chuckled, causing Derek to stare at him in bewilderment. "You were drunk. We found high traces of alcohol in your bloodstream and a bottle of wine with a half-empty glass with your fingerprints all over it in your apartment. This would explain why you remember none of this."

Derek went quiet. He knew that he had been drinking before... but he never thought that it would become a habit and result into this.

"Your injuries were caused by protruding glass shards underneath you where we guess you collapsed due to the alcohol. They stabbed into your side in your collapse, but there's no way these shards could have caused the damage seen in your hands. Those were voluntary injuries, I'm afraid." Mercer looked up at Derek, awaiting a response to the news, but he didn't get any.

When Derek noticed the paused, he looked up. He didn't want to say anything on his mind. He was scared as to what this was all going to lead to. "Please continue." he said. Mercer nodded.

"Lastly, we found this last piece of evidence by your body." Mercer then pulled out the Caduceus photo with the blood droplets on everyone's face. "It's a shame what you've done to such a beautiful picture. You know, the glass shards came from the picture frame this once special picture resided in. Again, let me remind you that all of this damage was your doing."

Derek's heart seemed to skip a beat. His lip started quivering as he tried to hold back the tears, but they came down anyway. Even so, Derek continued to fight against it. Mercer looked up and gave Derek a sympathetic look.

"Do you want me to continue?" Mercer said softly.

Derek didn't respond at first as he looked down, unable to control his tears, but eventually, Derek managed to gain enough control to jerk his head up and down slightly.

"In conclusion, we believe that this is what happened that night. We needed to find a reason as to why you got into the drinking habit. Judging by the ever growing bags under your eyes and growing fatigue through each day that I and your students have noticed, my forensics team learned that drinking alcohol was a way to help you get to sleep because it seems you have insomnia otherwise. However, this night, you drank too much. Out of drunkenness, you whipped the picture frame towards the wall, but then were shocked by the result. You walked over there and clutched the glass pieces in anger and shame of what you've done. In the end, the alcohol got the best of you, and you collapsed, glass shards digging into your side."

As he listened to the story, Derek managed to get a hold of his tears and started to remember foggy details about that night. He did remember drinking a lot and looking at the picture. His emotions got a hold of him and he threw it...

...Mercer's story was right.

The two sat in silence for a while, allowing the story to rest in their minds. Eventually, Derek spoke up, but in a rather hushed tone that could barely be heard. Mercer still picked it up, however.

"Are... are you going to do something about it...?"

Mercer frowned. It was a strange question, but it sure did help him get to the entire point of this meeting.

"Actually, yes, Dr. Stiles. I am going to do something about it." Mercer got up, and with his hands clasped together, walked towards Derek slowly. "That was the whole point of me calling you down here to talk to you."

"What are you going to do?"

Soon, Mercer was right beside Derek's wheelchair. He wheeled the crippled surgeon over to the view of the city. The HOA HQ had an amazing panoramic view of the city. Derek could even see Caduceus from over there.

"Listen carefully, please." Mercer whispered. "The last vital fact my forensics have discovered is that this entire incident was caused by all of the events that have transpired during your career at Caduceus. Your memories are the cause of all of these problems that now lay before you."

"What does this have to do with anything...?"

"Well, remember when we made that deal a month ago. I promised you I would do anything in my power to help you regain your Healing Touch..."

"Yes..."

"I found a way. My solution would be able to solve all of your problems, Derek, but I need you to co-operate."

Derek sure didn't like where this is going, but he wanted to hear what Mercer had to say.

"Have you heard of the Foaly Method?"

"Yes. I had to write a thesis on it back at med school..." Derek thought for a moment. "No... no way. That's your brilliant solution? The Foaly Method?"

"Potentially, yes."

"B-but, that would mean I would have to lose everything!"

"Didn't you already accept that fact? You were willing to lose everything in order to save the people who need you, Dr. Stiles! What happened to that promise?"

"But President Mercer, this is different!"

"Different how, Stiles? To me, it seems like it's the same thing!"

"B-But..." Derek couldn't find another point. He definitely didn't want to do this, but Mercer was right... using the Foaly Method wouldn't really change much after what Derek has already done. When he accepted this job position, he accepted the fact that he would lose whatever he had in order to regain his Healing Touch and save others once more. If the Foaly Method does as Mercer claims and is able to solve all of the problems Derek has been experiencing lately, then...

"...How far are you going to go?"

Mercer smiled. Derek asking that question meant that he was willing to accept the idea. "Only the connections you have to Caduceus."

Derek looked away through the window and took a look at Caduceus.  
A tear formed in his eye.

"...Fine." he sighed in defeat. "I have no choice but to accept." Derek shook hands with his boss, and then looked back at Caduceus through the window. "And I want the procedure to be done as soon as possible, even if it means today."

"That's perfect." Mercer replied. "Arthur Foaly happens to be in Angeles Bay at the convention by the docks. After it's over, I will get him to 'do his thing', per se."

Derek closed his eyes, struggling to keep up with all this information being thrown at him. Though his exterior remained extraordinarily calm, inside, his nerves were attacking him left and right. "Alright then." Derek said while still looking out the window, not wanting to make any eye contact with Mercer. He didn't want Mercer to see the endless weakness and sadness in his eyes. "Oh, and can you get me to the door? My hands are still weak."

Mercer got behind Derek's wheelchair and wheeled him over to the door. Mercer opened the door and wheeled Derek into the elevator. He pressed the lobby button for him, and then got out before the elevator took him with it. "I'll see you later then." Mercer said as he waved to the doctor while the doors moved and closed.

Mercer then turned to walk back in the direction of his office, his hearing focused on the sound of the elevator mechanisms whirring. As soon as it stopped, he heard an infuriated "DAMMIT!" emit from it and simply smirked to himself.

All part of the plan.

* * *

A/N: Ohmahgosh, I didn't even get around to the "torture" portion yet... aww... Anyways, the big question of the day is this: WHAT THE HECK IS THE FOALY METHOD?

Well, think about it... the whole purpose of it is to "get rid of all the connections Derek has with Caduceus". What do YOU think about when you hear that? Assassination? (LOL)

Anyways, because this is merely part one, it means that I've already made part two and to find the answer, you have to just simply turn to the next chapter.

So what are you waiting for?  
I mean, I worked soo hard to make this a double update!

Go read!

Oh yeah: he DOESN'T WEAR A DISGUISE IN THE HOA. He still looks like good ol' normal Derek Stiles, but no one in HOA suspects him of being anyone other than Professor/Doctor Daemon Sadahiro.

And just know this... I bet all Artemis Fowl fans know the answer to what the "Foaly" method does... just saying! =P


	5. The Foaly Method Part 2

**Disclaimer**:

Kix - Haha, I own Trauma Center!  
Oki - *gasp* I'm friends with the owner of Trauma Center?  
Kix – Hell no! I was kidding!  
Oki – Well I'm not.  
Kix - *shot*

Don't worry, I'm kidding. OF COURSE I don't own Trauma Center or any names/characters/etc. used in the games. All of that belongs to Atlus.

A/N: Hello everybody! If you haven't heard by now, PXLight is now officially a joint fanfiction account, so it won't be just Oki writing. Actually, for proof, I, Kix, am writing this chapter right now (LOL, no kidding). See, the reason I don't want to make a fanfiction account of my own is basically that it would probably go to waste. I don't have enough time on my hands to make my own story plots and stuff. Besides, I've never had a good imagination for these kinds of things.

Fortunately, I have a friend generous enough to share her stories with me and let me give her a hand, so as of now, I'll simply help her with her stories. I may write a couple of oneshots, but otherwise, the stories written by PXLight are Oki's.

Oh yeah, and the reason I want to call myself Kix on this account is simple: I deserve a penname too! B-D

...

(Oki) And so here it is! Chapter 5 of "Lost Hope"... I hope you readers enjoy it because considering that this is PART TWO of the AWESOME double update that myself and Kix have planned, it does get a little dark (not so much in this chapter), so to all those younger audiences out there who still insist on reading this story despite the constant warnings, I advise that you do not come around whining to me about how I shouldn't have made people do certain things.

And so without further ado...  
READ ALREADY DAMMIT! XD

* * *

Chapter Five: The Foaly Method (Part 2)

"Dr. Sadahiro!" Timothy called out to his mentor as the elevator doors opened. He had been expecting his mentor to at least greet him in return, but all he got was a monotonous stare.

"Daemon...?"

"Dr. Grey, may you please escort me to my room without another word?"

"B-but I just want to know what ha—"

"—NOT another word!" Derek snapped. His monotonous stare had immediately transformed into a furious glare, causing Timothy and other passing personnel to flinch and look to the direction of the crippled professor who was breathing heavily.

Timothy solemnly nodded and slunk behind his mentor to wheel him to his room. Derek forced himself to relax, but the situation was rather awkward for him and it was hard to get his heart rate down.

Halfway there, the silence was just too thick for anybody's liking. The only thing that could be heard was the two surgeon's breathing and the wheelchair's wheels squeaking as the two made their way down the hall back to Derek's room in the recovery ward. Derek finally broke the awkward silence that had enveloped around him and his pupil for a few minutes now.

"Timothy...?" Derek murmured shyly. He could feel a sweat drop make its way down his face and onto his neck collar.

"Yes?" Timothy sighed. He let a deep breath out. The choking silence made him feel as though he had to hold his breath until the silence let go.

"I... I'm sorry about what happened at the elevator." Derek replied softly. He could feel more sweat rain down on his cheeks, but then he realized that the sweat was originating from his eyes.

He was crying.

Timothy noticed that Derek's head had bobbed down to face the ground. He ran around the wheelchair to the front of his mentor and saw the tears falling off his cheeks. Timothy then held out a tissue. "Sir, please take this." Derek accepted it and wiped the tears and any remaining tear streaks off his face.

"Thank you so much, Timothy."

"No problem, Dr. Sadahiro."

Derek squirmed in his seat a bit at the sound of his alias. The sound was even more unfamiliar to him and contradicted his feelings inside considering what had gone on during the meeting earlier.

The two then soon made it to Derek's room. Timothy helped Derek off the wheelchair and back onto the bed. He then set up the instruments and grabbed a chair to sit right beside his mentor.

"Do you want to talk about what happened in that meeting, Dr. Sadahiro?" Timothy asked. Derek simply shook his head in return. Timothy nodded in understanding. He wanted to respect Derek's wishes. There was an odd silence that fell upon the two; the sound of Derek's heartbeat on the monitor was the only thing that was heard.

"Dr. Grey, I just wanted to tell you that it was a joy mentoring you." Derek suddenly said. "I hope you never forget that." His voice was low and solemn, causing Timothy to abruptly blink in bewilderment.

"W-wait... Why are you telling me this?" asserted Timothy. He threw his hands to his hips and grouched. A cross look spread itself across his face as the doctor immediately stood up, unable to control himself. "Don't tell me that the meeting... you got FIRED?" Timothy couldn't help but yell out the last word.

Derek quickly motioned Dr. Grey to be more careful with the volume of his voice by putting his finger over his lips. Timothy quickly noticed and sat down before he could attract more attention.

"Shut up, Timothy!" Derek shushed.

"But how can they fire HOA's top surgeon? What is wrong with President Mercer? I am gonna go up there and give them a piece of my mind!" Timothy was about to get up when Derek quickly grabbed hold of his arm.

"First off, the meeting wasn't about me getting fired! I'm still working here! I mean, I still have my ID, HOA patch, and everything!" As if to prove his point, Derek glanced over to his personal belongings that were removed when the nurses put him in the hospital gown. Amongst the pile of items laid the items he had just mentioned.

Timothy let out a sigh of relief.

"Then why did you say what you did just there?" Timothy asked softly.

"Because of what happened at the meeting."

"But—"

The PA cut Timothy's next statement off. "Dr. Sadahiro?" Mercer's voice asked through the speaker on the wall.

"Yes, President Mercer?" Derek replied.

"Foaly's here. The procedure will start in twenty minutes. Please head for Room 1441 in five minutes and I'll meet you there."

"Yes sir."

The PA cut off and everything was silent.  
Derek sighed as the silence graced his ears.

This was it.  
Only five more minutes before he lost everything.

* * *

"F-Foaly..." The name gently left Timothy's mouth like a silent breeze. He breathed the name in and out, thinking about what this all meant.

"—_I hope you never __**forget**__ that..."  
"—Foaly..."_

"The Foaly Method..." Timothy muttered to himself, but considering that there was no other sound besides the heart monitor and their breathing, Derek picked up on Timothy's mutter pretty easily. "...That's what the meeting was about." Timothy said more confidently. "President Mercer wants to perform the Foaly Method on you!"

Derek looked away. He didn't want to confirm his pupil's suspicions. Seeing this, Timothy just continued on his train of thought. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

So the meeting was about Mercer wanting to perform the Foaly Method on Dr. Daemon Sadahiro.

But why?

Did it have something to do with what had happened that caused Dr. Sadahiro to require immediate operation? Speaking of which, what exactly happened to him anyways? Considering the high alcohol levels in his blood, he had either been drinking or he had been drugged then attacked...

"_GAH! This was just too hard to think about!"_ Timothy bellowed in his mind. He knew that he had no choice but to just simply give up now.

Then an answer decided to pop up in his head.

Why can't he just ask Dr. Sadahiro himself?

Timothy opened his eyes.

Derek was gone.

* * *

Though he knew this wasn't exactly the right thing to do, Derek knew that he couldn't get Timothy Grey involved with Derek Stiles. He had to keep those two worlds apart and he knew this was the only way he could do it.

He had slunk away trying to be as silent as he could to not disturb Timothy's train of thought. Derek was almost sure that he was trying to figure out what all this was about, so he used this opportunity to get away.

He was now on his wheelchair, his hands feeling much better, in front of the door of Room 1441. He then pushed with all the strength he could muster against the heavy door in order to open it. Seeing that this failed, he groaned then resorted to kicking the door to signal anyone on the other side.

Fortunately, Mercer picked up on it and opened the door for his top surgeon. He helped Derek into the rather dark room by wheeling him in to the table and bed which was singled out compared to everything else. It was as though there was only one dim light in the room and that dim light focused all of Derek's attention on the table and bed. Everything else was curtained in darkness. The room was basically equipped in the same manner as an O.R., but it was slightly larger and only used in special occasions or situations. Derek had never been in any of the rooms in this corridor because they were used for special purposes only. There was still a fresh paint smell in the room, meaning that this was one of the first times this room had been used.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Daemon Sadahiro." Arthur Foaly smiled kindly and Derek smiled back. Mercer and Foaly helped Derek up off the wheelchair and onto the bed.

"President Mercer, I know this may be wrong of me for saying so, but I would like it if you were to watch the procedure from the other room." Foaly pointed over to the one-way mirror.

Mercer nodded in agreement. "Alright Doctor. I wouldn't want to get in your way." Mercer then stepped out of the room and made his way to the neighbouring room behind the one-way mirror. Though Mercer wouldn't be able to hear what was going on in the room, he knew he could trust Foaly. If not, his men would be onto him immediately.

Besides, he was recording the entire conversation in the other room.  
Mercer would miss nothing.

Foaly helped Derek up onto the bed and got him into the proper position (lying on his back at the proper angle on the bed). He noticed that Derek was shivering and wasn't surprised that he would be nervous for what was to come. He then stripped off Derek's gown to reveal his upper body and then followed up by sticking a few wires onto the surgeon's chest, temples, and forehead. He then rubbed a bit of cool gel all over Derek's forehead.

Derek sighed. Though he didn't like the silence, he was about to lose everything, and he didn't exactly remember what the purpose of the mysterious gel was (he didn't like being victim of something he didn't have knowledge of), the cool touch of said gel was soothing to his stressed out mind. He instantly felt relaxed to its touch even though he was fully aware of what was about to happen.

Then he remembered.  
The gel's name was known as "HAZE".

"Yes Dr. Sadahiro. That is the code name of the gel." Foaly replied softly. Derek hadn't even been aware that he had said the name out loud. Only a few minute have passed and already he was losing control over his body. Foaly's voice sounded so soft and mellow. It was like music to Derek's ears. "The gel helps relax and blank out your mind for the following procedure." Foaly explained. "After about twenty minutes, you should be completely out until the procedure is over."

"That's good." Derek smiled sleepily.

Foaly put the gel on the table to the side of him and then grabbed a stethoscope out of his bag.

"Alright Dr. Sadahiro. Can you take deep breaths for me?" Derek obliged and Foaly placed it on Derek's chest while he moved it around. While doing so, Foaly noticed the scar across Derek's heart.

"Have you had a heart operation recently?" Foaly asked.

"Yes." Derek's voice was a little slurred. Though he thought he was in full control of his actions, he was actually only half-conscious. This was all due to the HAZE's effects.

"What happened?" Foaly inquired. Though this type of questioning wouldn't really affect the procedure, he just did it to open up some form of conversation with the patient before the procedure began. He found it interesting how the patients reacted to the gel. What most people didn't know was that the gel almost acted like a truth serum.

"...I had GUILT." was Derek's response.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Foaly replied. "Considering the situation, did Caduceus have one of their doctors operate on you?"

"Yes." Derek smiled as the question brought up memories. "Their top surgeon..."

"You mean the legendary doctor Derek Stiles himself operated on you? That must have been an honour."

The sound of his name snapped Derek out of the trance the HAZE had caused. He jolted up off the rather comfortable bed and glared angrily at Foaly.

"He's dead!" Derek hissed. "Derek Stiles is—"Out of nowhere, a sharp pain shot across Derek's mind. He clutched his head in pain and began to thrash, but then was surprised when it just abruptly stopped.

He looked down.  
Foaly had shot him with a syringe.

"I'm sorry I had to do this, but HAZE wasn't enough to keep you locked in trance state, so I was forced to resort to other methods." He pulled out the syringe.

Derek suddenly couldn't move. He fell back onto the bed and couldn't help but look up as Foaly applied more HAZE onto his forehead. His frantic panicking eyes that were darting left to right in utter fear of being in a paralyzed state instantly calmed down as Derek returned to his relaxed state once more.

"Alright, that is much better." Foaly's voice was flowing like a soft breeze to Derek once again. Derek gave him a soft smile and looked at him with his now dull eyes.

"I'm glad for you." The surgeon replied.

"I will now tell you what is about to happen so there is nothing unexpected comes to you who might cause you to jump out of your trance state, meaning that we would have to start over once again."

Foaly then set up a rather complicated machine that was made up of a monitor, many buttons, and a recorder.

"The Foaly Method will act as a memory wiper." Foaly said as he placed special glasses over Derek's eyes.

Derek continued to smile.  
Though under normal circumstances, he would be completely frightened, the trance state caused by the HAZE made him oblivious to everything, thus the content peaceful state of mind.

"You see, the reason I am placing these glasses over your eyes is because throughout our lives, what we see and experience will leave us with memories. Though people used to assume that memories were only stored in the frontal lobe of our brains, I have discovered the memories are also controlled through the eyes."

He typed a few things into the computer.

"You see, events we experience leave imprints on our corneas. My machine can read these imprints and convert them into binary code onto the computer. From there, I can basically manipulate your memories by changing them in some way or simply erasing them."

Foaly placed a disk into the recorder.

"Depending on how much I erase, your IQ and personality could take a hit. I am also able to record your memories to be reviewed later, which is what Mercer has asked me to do. Speaking of which, the HOA has wanted to make this as permanent as possible so they have also asked to me to place this IV with a special medicine that will help in the process the HOA has developed themselves." Foaly pointed to the IV connected to Derek. "It will start dripping as soon as the procedure begins and you're completely out."

"Well, I'm almost there." Derek joked a little. Foaly chuckled lightly in response.

"Mercer has told me that he needs your memories of Caduceus erased." Foaly paused and smirked for a minute. "You must be an amazing surgeon, having come from Caduceus."

"Yeah..." Derek could now feel his conscious actually slipping away, but he didn't care about anything. He felt as though he was at peace with the world. "...I was considered the best there..."

"Really now?" Foaly then thought about it. The way the man in front of him reacted to the mention of Derek Stiles... his claim just now... the heart surgery... his looks... the initials... It couldn't all just be a coincidence...

"Alright, just one more minute until we begin." Foaly stated. He then looked at his patient. He noticed that all patients seemed to look so serene before the mind wipe started, the man in front of him included. "I'll just ask you a couple more questions to tell when you are completely asleep. What is your name?"

"...D-Daemon Sadahiro..." Derek replied in a soft whisper. Everything was going black, even though the glasses forced his eyes to stay open.

Foaly sighed. He knew that there is no 'famous' doctor that went by the name of 'Daemon Sadahiro', meaning that the name was just an alias. He had read through some files from Caduceus at the convention he was at before coming here, so he was pretty sure he was right. "Your REAL name, Doctor." Foaly asserted.

"Ahh... you got me..." Derek's voice was now barely audible. "My real name... is... Derek... Stiles..."

Then everything went black.

...

Foaly smirked to himself.  
He knew it.

...

He then looked to the computer. Suddenly, a burst of zeros and ones appeared on the screen before him. They represented all Derek's memories. Foaly was a computer genius and read through the code (chuckling at a little part about Derek using menthol rub instead of antibiotic gel) until he found what he was looking for.

He cut the memories of Caduceus from Derek's memories and placed them onto the disk that Mercer had provided. He waited until the machine did its job, and then started the release procedure to finish up.

"The most brilliant thing about the human mind..." Foaly murmured to himself. "...is that the brain will create its own 'memories' in order to replace those lost. That takes a lot of work out of this job."

Finally, the machine whirred down. Foaly took the disk out and placed it in a white case and labelled it "DS" to give to Mercer. He then removed the glasses off Derek and began to pack up.

He then remembered the IV bag. Oddly enough, it was already completely empty.

"_I guess there wasn't a lot of that serum to begin with..."_ Foaly thought. Soon he was finished and exited the room.

...

Seeing Foaly exit the room, Mercer was pretty sure that the man had finished the job. Mercer then met up with him, accepted the CD, waved good bye, and then entered the room with the sleeping Derek. He walked up to the unconscious surgeon and brushed his hand over his cheek. Derek didn't react to it at all.

"You're now completely mine, Derek Stiles." he chuckled. "The serum... that's how I know that my plan succeeded." His chuckle then turned into a surprising menacing laugh that echoed through the room. Mercer couldn't help himself and was rather glad that the room was soundproof. As soon as it died down, he helped the unconscious Derek onto the wheelchair and the two left the room.

Mercer couldn't help but continue to smile as he walked down the hall with the sleeping Derek. Everyone he passed thought of it as weird. They didn't see their boss smile too often.

But today was a special day.

The plan was almost complete.

* * *

Derek finally woke up the next morning in his room. His eyes examined his location groggily and as soon as he recognised that he was in his apartment, he moved his hands to the bedside table for his glasses. As soon as he found them, he slipped them onto his face and sighed.

"What happened?" he groaned. His entire body was still sore, his head was throbbing, and his eyes were watery. He looked around his room which, though he didn't know it, was recently cleaned to erase any traces of the events that took place during his drunken rampage.

He looked to the pile beside him where he found his glasses. They were the rest of his important personal belongings. Derek checked his wallet and pulled out an ID.

"Dr. Daemon Sadahiro... surgeon of the Hands of Asclepius." He read the ID out loud and laughed. "Daemon Sadahiro isn't my real name... I'm Derek... Derek Stiles..."

But then he stopped laughing as a question came to realization.  
Why did he have an alias?

Then he remembered.  
It was dangerous to stay under the name "Derek Stiles".

Though he couldn't remember exactly why, he didn't even care.

He searched the remaining contents of his wallet. He found a bunch of cards and a few bills. Finally, his fingers stumbled upon a secret pocket. He searched it a pulled out the contents.

It was some kind of patch. It middle looked like a snake staff of some sort graced with two symmetrical wings. The background was blue and red with elegant yellow embroidering. Underneath was a ribbon that read "Caduceus".

A slight pain shot through Derek's head, but it immediately went numb. The soft attention Derek gave the patch was suddenly shifted into an angry glare. "What the hell is this piece of crap doing in here? Caduceus is the enemy!" Derek shot the patch into the trash bin by the far wall but it bounced off the wall and missed. He got up to pick it up, but feeling the patch once more caused an unknown guilt to wash over him and he decided to keep it somewhere instead of just throwing it out. He then threw it into the far side of his drawer.

Derek then moved to take a shower then change into his HOA uniform: a white shirt and black pants with his coat with the HOA patch on it. He slung his ID card necklace over his neck and looked at himself in the mirror. A refreshed surgeon with soggy hair looked straight back at him. He could feel something wrong tugging at the back of his mind, but he ignored the feeling. He smiled at his reflection: he looked good.

After a failed attempt at trying to fix up his now dry messy hair, he glanced at the time. It was 6:40 AM... he had twenty minutes to get to work. He grabbed his wallet and bag full of his items for work and stepped outside of his apartment, only to be greeted by none other than Patrick Mercer.

"Oh, hi President Mercer." Derek sheepishly greeted his boss and Mercer smiled back.

"Hello Dr. Sadahiro." Mercer replied. "I just came by to see how you're doing."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, didn't you notice that you had an operation recently?"

Derek felt around his chest.  
He then found a stitched-up scar.

As soon as he touched it, he instantly remembered the events that took place while he was drunk. He remembered throwing the picture, then fainting on the glass shards. Speaking of which, what happened to the mess? The maid must've come in and cleaned it.

"I'm sorry for causing all of this trouble." Derek bowed in respect and Mercer patted him on the shoulder.

"It's alright." He replied. "We fixed the problem yesterday, remember?"

"Uhm, no I don't." Derek couldn't remember any of the events that took place after his drunken rampage. All he knew was that he had woken up right after the event. "Sorry sir." He sighed.

"It must be the after-effects..." Mercer muttered to himself out of Derek's hearing range.

"Thank you for caring however, sir. I will work as hard as I can to make up for it." Derek was about to leave when Mercer stopped him by grabbing onto his shoulder.

"Wait one second, Daemon." Mercer turned Derek around and the surgeon looked at him with a questioning look.

"Yes?"

"I need you to operate today."

"B-But my Healing Touch..." Derek blurted out the phrase. It had just come out through instinct. Saying the name 'Healing Touch' forced Derek's mind to experience another slight pain, but then it was once again immediately numbed. He remembered how he had used it to save GUILT victims in the past on operations he had performed alone. However, he had lost it about a month ago, but he couldn't seem to remember exactly why.

"Don't worry; you'll be fine after you take this." Mercer pulled out a syringe and injected the grey medicine into Derek's arm. Derek flinched as the prick came out of nowhere, but then allowed the mystery medicine to enter his bloodstream. He had complete trust in Mercer.

The two waited a few minutes for minutes until the medicine took effect. After the five minute mark, Derek's head started to throb and his heart punched in his chest as though it was demanding for Derek to let it out. He had to sit down on the floor to get it to calm down.

"Mercer... what did you do?" Derek hissed when the pain increased. Mercer smirked. "It was medicine we developed for your Healing Touch. After all this, you should have it back, better than ever."

Derek barely heard what his boss had said due to the excruciating pain in his chest and brain. He muffled his whimpers and relaxed little by little as the pain soon calmed down. Ten minutes later, he felt a ton better... even more refreshed than what he had been feeling before the injection. Mercer's medicine worked. Mercer, along with Derek, was glad to see it.

"There's nothing to worry about now. Just stay happy and do your thing." Mercer pulled out the charts and gave them to Derek to read. It turns out that he had to operate on a GUILT patient.

"Your class will be watching you while you operate." Mercer continued. "They will be waiting for you in OR 1059. I have already assigned a nurse and anaesthesiologist to you and I have just heard that the patient has just begun prepping. You're the only thing missing. I suggest that you impress us all."

Derek gulped. All of this was rather... sudden. "Wait—'us all'? You're watching as well?"

Mercer nodded.  
Derek thought about it for a second, and then nodded in return.

"Alright, sir. I'll operate."

Mercer smiled. "Because I am sure of your success, please meet me in my office after the operation is complete. There is something we need to discuss."

And so Derek and Mercer left to the operating room in HOA HQ together.

* * *

Just as Derek finished scrubbing up, he ran into Timothy Grey.

"Ah, Dr. Grey. Will you be watching my operation today as well?"

"So the rumours WERE true! We all got a call this morning that told us to meet you here for today's lesson! You really are operating and we all get to see!" Timothy looked up to Derek and Derek nodded with a smile on his face.

"That's right. I'm probably going to be pretty rusty considering how this is my first GUILT patient I've had in a while." Just before the two parted so Derek could enter the OR and Timothy to the observation deck with the remainder of his classmates, Derek grabbed the other surgeon by the shoulder.

"Yes?" Timothy asked in surprise.

"You're going the wrong way." Derek smirked.

"What do you mean? I'm pretty sure the observation deck is over here..."

"But you're going to be with me in the operating room. You'll witness the operation first-hand." Derek gave him a warm smile and Timothy gave him a large grin in return. The two then walked into the OR where his classmates from the observation deck murmured to themselves at the sight of Timothy along with Daemon Sadahiro.

Derek greeted Mercer, the nurse (who just happened to be Mira), and the anaesthesiologist and explained Timothy's presence. Timothy smiled at Mira and shook Mercer's hand.

"Alright class." Derek called up to the men and women up in the observation deck. "You are all about to get your first look at real life GUILT in a patient. According to the charts, you should be seeing Kyriaki." Derek then gently pulled his mask up over his face and positioned Timothy on the other side of the operating table. Derek then did his trademark "I'm starting the operation" pose just to get a few giggles out of the students and Timothy, then started to make his incision over the abdominal area by applying antibiotic gel over the incision area, then using the scalpel kindly provided by Mira.

"I'm going in..." Derek murmured.

He then looked over his operating area and everyone watching fell into a deep silence as Derek sutured the lacerations. He then waited for the Kyriaki to appear, but it didn't happen.

"Mira, where is the Kyriaki?" Derek asked. Mira grabbed the Chiral detector and scanned the patient.

"Bad news, Dr. Sadahiro." Mira replied. "It appears that the Chiral reaction has moved. It is now centered on the patient's heart."

"What?" The word spluttered out of Derek's mouth. "I guess I have no choice but to suture my first incision and make another incision over the heart." Derek then did just that. Timothy gasped at how amazing his mentor's suturing skills were as Derek quickly cut over the heart.

Once again, silence hung over the room. However, only Derek noticed something wrong. Seeing his mentor's strange gaze over the patient's heart, Timothy moved to get a better look over the heart. There seemed to be some strange elastic white "webbing" of some sort covering the heart. Out of nowhere, a little blue spider popped out of one of the lacerations over the heart.

"Is that Kyriaki, Doctor?" Timothy asked.

Derek returned his question with a grave look. "I see you haven't been studying up on GUILT strands. This is not Kyriaki but a strand of GUILT that is much worse." Derek looked up to face the students in the observation deck. "Students, say hello to the Savato strand of GUILT." He then immediately turned to the patient where Mira was shivering in fear.

"Doctor, Chiral reaction is increasing. Savato is about to show itself!"

Then, along the web, blue Savato appeared. Derek sighed and grabbed the scalpel.

"The first step in defeating Savato is to remove the web surrounding the heart. This web drains the patient's life force by absorbing the heart beats and using it for energy." Derek then moved to cut one of the strands, but as soon as he was successful, he moved to show his students and Timothy the result of his scalpel.

It was completely melted.

"Savato's webs are rather acidic. This means that every time you cut one web, you need to get a new scalpel, which can take some time." He threw away the molten scalpel and waited until Mira got him a new one. She had made sure to grab the entire box. Derek continued to cut the webs and explain what was going on. Timothy even got to help along and grab a scalpel of his own from the box and helped Derek cut the webs. As soon as that was over and done with, Savato was wide open.

Mira handed Derek the laser.  
"And so the battle begins..." Derek muttered.

He started to zap the Savato with a lazer. The Savato reacted violently and began to thrash, creating lacerations and mini Savato along the way. However, it was still no match for Derek as he was able to keep up and quickly suture the lacerations while killing off the mini Savato before they mutated.

Suddenly, when the Savato was really cornered, it created six different lacerations, releasing hundreds of little Savato. It continued this until the heart was completely flooded with mini Savato and lacerations.

"No!" Derek cried out.  
All this happened in less than three seconds.

"Doctor, the patient's vitals are critical!" Mira exclaimed. Timothy couldn't say anything. He was too absorbed in his panic along with his classmates.

"Dammit! What the hell do I do?" Derek hissed. He looked to Mercer, who simply raised an eyebrow.

"Save the patient, Sadahiro." Mercer simply stated. "The star..."

Derek figured out what he was hinting at.  
The Healing Touch.

There was nothing else he could do.  
He just HAD to try.

Mercer DID inject that medicine into him while claiming that it would return his Healing Touch. There probably isn't a better time to pray that it worked until now.

But if it didn't work, Derek was sure the patient would die.

"Please..." Derek whispered to himself. "I know I can save you!"

Derek grabbed a scalpel and envisioned a star. Already a slight tingling that originated from his temples was created.

This just might work!

With more confidence, he traced the star and allowed the sensation it created to engulf him as he closed his eyes...

* * *

...and when he opened them, he was in kinetic sense. Everything was slowed down and all of Derek's concentration was completely focused on the Savato and its babies who were slowed down along with the rest of the world.

His Healing Touch had returned.

"Now begone, Savato!" Derek hissed angrily as he grabbed two lasers and incinerated the baby Savato in what seemed like five seconds to him. He then threw the two lasers into his right hand and focused their beam on the large blue Savato while he used his left hand to suture up all of the lacerations. He noticed that with each thing he fixed, the patient's vitals seemed to go up.

"_That's a new aspect of my Healing Touch..."_ Derek thought as the flame on Savato died out and he grabbed the scalpel off the tray to slice it (Mira was too slow). Afterwards, he quickly injected the serum to finish Savato off. As soon as all traces of Chiral reaction disappeared from the patient's body, Derek released his Healing Touch and returned to real time...

...Where everyone couldn't help but stare at Derek in complete surprise and awe.

"Dr Sadahiro..." Timothy gasped after glancing down at his watch. "...You saved the patient in three seconds..."

"Did I now..." Derek looked away. Even though he had never moved that fast before he lost the Healing Touch, he didn't feel as though he had succeeded. In fact, his mind felt as though he had failed. He felt a little woozy and fatigue was luring him to sleep, but he forced these feelings away so he didn't suddenly collapse in the middle of the operation.

He closed the patient up and applied the bandage carefully.  
After that, he nodded to Mercer and his students and left the OR without another word.

* * *

Derek stepped out of the prep room after getting out of his scrubs. Timothy immediately came rushing to him with a wide grin on his face.

"Doctor, that was just amazing!" he exclaimed. "I never knew you had the Healing Touch! Your operating speed is legendary! You were like a blur in the OR!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Dr. Grey." Derek replied without much enthusiasm.

"What, that's all you have to say?" Timothy continued in his cheery tone. "Oh, I get it. You're being a professional... you're just too modest, Dr. Sadahiro!" Seeing that Derek continued to give him a monotonous expression, Timothy jumped in front of him. Derek stopped.

"Why won't you cheer up?" Timothy asked. "Are you always like this after saving someone's life? You look as though you just killed him!"

Derek didn't respond. He simply pushed Timothy out of the way and kept walking forward with his hands stuffed into his coat pockets, leaving the other doctor in the middle of the hallway in shock and confusion.

Timothy did have a point though. Derek knew that he usually had a cheery face on after saving someone's life, but this time, he felt as though he was almost sad for saving a life. Was this a side effect from the medicine that gave him back the Healing Touch? That's why he was so determined to go to Mercer and ask him himself.

Derek entered the elevator and made sure to close the door before Timothy got there. He then made it to the top floor and walked down the hall to Mercer's office.

"Ah, Dr. Sadahiro, welcome!" Mercer said cheerfully as he closed the door behind Derek. After making sure that the door was completely closed, he glanced back at the doctor. "Congratulations on a wonderful operation, Derek. I was blown away by your Healing Touch and how much it had improved. I knew you would be better here."

"And by that, just what do you mean exactly?" Derek asked. "And tell me why I feel so sad after saving someone. Wh-what was that medicine and what did you to me?"

"One word can answer all of those questions." Mercer replied. "GUILT."

"What?"

"The reason you got your Healing Touch back is due to the new strand of GUILT in your body. The medicine was its activator. You were my test subject and it's clear that the test succeeded."

"What? You put GUILT in me?" Derek was frantic. "I could die! The GUILT could kill me! Since when did you put it in?"

"Calm down, Stiles. The GUILT was administered through IV."

"You gave me GUILT during my last operation?"

Mercer remembered that Derek didn't remember any of the events that took place during Foaly's procedure. "I guess you could say that."

"Damn, I need another operation then. I'm getting the GUILT removed as soon as I can! I don't care if I don't get the Healing Touch back! There is no way I'm getting it back through GUILT!" Derek tried to open the door by twisting the door handle, but Mercer had locked it.

"I won't let you go until I'm done speaking with you, Stiles, now take a seat!" Mercer's voice escalated with each word and Derek had no choice but to sit down on a seat by the table.

"I'm listening."

"There is no way you can remove the GUILT, Derek." Mercer started. "I have had my researchers examine your DNA and it turns out that you were a perfect match with one of the GUILT we had been refining." Derek frowned at how wrong all this was, but Mercer smirked. "Haven't you heard of people developing cures out of poisonous mushrooms and viruses; all bad things? For example, penicillin had been developed from mould. We are basically doing the same thing. We are making something good out of something bad."

"But by doing that, you are stooping to Delphi's level!" Derek exclaimed angrily. "And I worked so hard to defeat GUILT, and yet..."

"... Your actions have not been in vain, Derek." Mercer continued. "I mean, look at the result of our research. You are the result of GUILT refinement. Inside you is a special GUILT, something I call "Neo-GUILT". Both of you are in symbiosis, meaning that you depend on that GUILT now and the GUILT depends on you. Removing the GUILT could kill you, in other words." Somehow, even as he heard all of that, Derek's face remained emotionless.

"You are a perfect host!" Mercer spoke to him like a prophet. "You are the beginning of a new revolution in medicine! Notice how much your Healing Touch has changed. It's the same, but with a few new upgrades that came from having that GUILT in your body."

Derek frowned. His morals were attacking him on the inside. He knew that GUILT couldn't bring happiness, especially considering what he had been through. However, Mercer has a point. Somehow the test has succeeded and the GUILT is active in him without killing him. Somehow, he did manage to make GUILT help save people instead of killing them. If he could continue this, the entire world really would have a medical revolution.

"Dammit..." he hissed. He had no choice but to accept the GUILT inside of him. It was already there and it actually was helping him... he figured that it couldn't hurt but to co-operate. If he helped with the creation of Neo-GUILT, the worse pathogen in the history of the world could work wonders and be a benefit instead of a threat. Mercer's ambiguous plans do have an upside to all this. Somehow, Derek was becoming more and more comfortable with the idea.

"So there is GUILT inside of me..." Derek said under his breath. "... and I'm not dead or feeling worse than normal. I guess your research really was a success." He looked up at Mercer and gave him a sneer. "And I feel a lot better than any other time I can remember. Is this what you are going to do with the other HOA doctors? You are going to give them the Healing Touch through Neo-GUILT?"

"Yes, that right. I'm glad you've to realize that this is right." Mercer smiled and walked over to Derek. He then held out his hand to Derek and Derek didn't even hesitate when shaking his hand. Any feelings of underlying guilt left him as he took his boss's hand and accepted the gesture. Somehow he felt that this was right.

Mercer smirked to himself at the surgeon's reaction. This was all going better than he expected. He had expected Derek to at least hesitate or even slap his hand away during the handshake, but the doctor looked comfortable with the idea.

Of course, all this was not pure.

Mercer knew the true actions of what was going on behind the scenes. The GUILT should be at Derek's brain and putting a permanent lock on his memory loss so the doctor won't remember anything about Caduceus even if a trigger (something that could cause instant memory recall) came around. Forgetting everything about Caduceus meant that Derek would forget what happened with Emilio meaning that this was all it took to get Derek's Healing Touch back.

The activator triggered the GUILT, causing it to mature rapidly and form symbiosis with Derek, completing Mercer's plans. Now slowly, with each time Derek uses his Healing Touch, the more the GUILT will mature. He made sure that the GUILT's DNA made it so the GUILT could never grow out of control from Derek and start attacking him, but the compatible DNA between the two life forms should have been enough anyway.

The GUILT, considering its location in the body, could also manipulate Derek's feelings. An example of this would be what had just happened with the handshake. However, this is just the beginning. It grows as the GUILT builds up to its advanced stages. At the same time, Derek's own physical abilities and his Healing Touch's abilities will increase. There was probably going to be a little bit of a personality shift, but otherwise, everything was going along what Mercer had been predicting.

He had succeeded.

"Derek, this is the end of this meeting. Thank you for listening."

"It was a pleasure." Derek nodded in farewell and left the room to resume teaching his class. As soon as the door clicked to signal that it was completely closed, Mercer took a seat behind his desk and picked up a picture of him, Heather, and his wife.

"Don't worry, Tracy. Soon, you'll wake up and I can gaze at your true eyes once more. Please just wait a little longer."

He put the picture down.  
He then looked to the door.

And smiled to himself.

"I have found the perfect doctor and the perfect strain. As soon as the research is complete..."

The thought of success made Patrick Mercer cry.

* * *

_A few weeks later..._

Soon the perfectly safe ability enhancement drug was released. The HOA had finally perfected it and the first doctors who got to try it were the same doctors in Derek's class. They had completed the course and were finally able to gain the Healing Touch and truly work for the HOA.

"Dr. Sadahiro!" Timothy called out on the day he was to receive the Healing Touch. Derek had been waiting by the hall around the area where the doctors would soon line up in order to gain the enhancement drug.

"Yes, Timothy?"

"Umm... there's something I need to talk to you about." Timothy then pulled Derek behind a wall to talk a little more privately. "I'm not sure about this drug."

"Oh, there's no need to worry, Timothy." Derek replied with a smile. "It's already been tested and even you have seen its success."

"What do you mean? –Oh!" Timothy recalled the operation the other day. "You mean... your Healing Touch is artificial?"

"Well, not exactly... but the medicine you're about to take did help with the process I had to undertake to gain my own Healing Touch." Derek replied. He didn't want to tell him the full story or it could connect Timothy to Derek Stiles, which is something he knew should never happen.

"So that means that if I take the drug, I could gain operating abilities as amazing as yours?" Timothy imagined the possibilities and sighed in awe.

"Well, I will never let my students trump me, first off! That will be impossible!" Derek gave him a goofy smirk and Timothy chuckled.

"Well, that's all about to change, Dr. Sadahiro! Today, you'll witness the rise of a new legendary surgeon! One that might even have a chance at trumping the great Derek Stiles himself!"

"_That would mean that he would trump me and I just told him that it's impossible..."_ Derek mentally retorted.

Mira then walked past the wall and noticed the two doctors, one with a wide grin and another with a sarcastic look plastered all over his face. "Hello Dr. Grey, Dr. Sadahiro."

The two men looked towards the girl and smiled. "Hey Mira." Timothy replied.

"I've been looking all over for you, Dr. Grey." Mira exclaimed suddenly. He pulled Timothy away from Derek and dragged him to the other side of the wall.

"Listen." Mira whispered. Timothy nodded in response. "Apparently, the head of the HOA wants us nurses to partner up with a doctor because our prepping is done and we are all about to start our real work for the HOA... and I was wondering if you would like to be my partner for any future operations."

"Well, I—"

"I mean, you're an amazing surgeon and if I've ever said or thought anything bad about you, I take it back." Mira blushed. "Besides, I've learned a lot from you already. I've learned to 'loosen up' and it's done wonders to my work and personality, so please say yes?"

"Mira, Mira! It's alright! Of course I would gladly accept. It would be nice to have you as my partner when I save the world from diseases!" Mira then pulled Timothy into a warm embrace.

Derek, on the other hand, peeked through the wall and smiled. He had been expecting something more (like a kiss), but this was just the start. The relationship between the two brought up some nostalgic feelings, but that's all. Derek thought it strange to have nostalgia considering that ever since he could remember, he had been doing surgeries with either a veteran nurse that he has no "relationship-in-that-way" with or just working by himself. He never took note of the nurses he worked with.

A few minutes later, there was a group assembly where Mercer addressed to everyone. He talked about how this was the beginning of the medical revolution and how everyone in that room should be proud of today. At the end, everyone cheered and applauded as Mercer finished up and got off the stage. Then, the students got to line up. The ones with the highest grades in the class were first in line. Timothy Grey, the student with the highest grades out of the entire group, had the honour of being the first to receive the enhancement and get the artificial Healing Touch. Derek himself was the one injecting it in.

"Alright, this isn't going to hurt at all. It's just going to be a gentle **stab**..." Derek gave him his best evil smile and Timothy returned it with a weak smile back.

The syringe went in. Timothy didn't even flinch. Derek pushed the grey medicine in, removed it, then placed a cotton ball on the entry wound and taped it down.

"Just wait there for the medicine to take effect. You may feel a slight headache and body pains, but otherwise, you should be fine. We'll then channel neural movement data of the Healing Touch into your nervous system. After five minutes, the HOA believes that you should have the artificial Healing Touch." Derek stated to Timothy and the remainder of the class (who was just dying to know what would happen)."

The channelling was successful.  
Five minutes passed.  
The only thing Timothy experienced was a slight headache, but otherwise, that was it.

Derek then handed him an "Operation" game board.

"You're kidding me. THIS is how you're going to test me?" Timothy exclaimed as he was handed the game. Derek nodded with a serious look. Timothy first completed the game normally and was timed. The result was 9:29.

Then he was to do it with the Healing Touch.

"Take the forceps and trace a star in order to focus. Concentrate." Derek coached his pupil as Timothy took a deep breath in. He traced a star with the game's forceps in mid-air and released his breath. Suddenly, it seemed as though his vision had zoomed in and he could see nothing else but the game pieces. Everything else was completely black.

"You did it!" a voice suddenly exclaimed happily. Timothy could suddenly see Derek in his vision.

"So this is what the Healing Touch is like?" Timothy asked nervously. "It seems kinda... lonely..."

"I had to use my own Healing Touch to get to you, but yes, I believe this is what it's like for you." Derek's figure looked around at his surroundings. "It sure is dark, but I guess this is how you focus."

"So what do I do?" Timothy asked.

"Simply remove the pieces. Hurry up; I'm still timing you..." Derek's entire embodiment then faded away and Timothy moved to complete the board game.

Soon, he finished and at the instant he put down the forceps, his Healing Touch automatically released. Timothy suddenly felt woozy and dropped the game. He clutched onto his head and stumbled against the wall which he then used to support himself.

"Ugh, that was tiring, Doctor..." Timothy muttered. "...How do you cope with that?"

"It takes a lot of practice, Dr. Grey, but I promise I will personally help you on your release." Derek gave him a small smile. "By the way, your time was 5:23. You should be proud of yourself. That's quite an impressive time, but I'm pretty sure we can do a lot better. Tomorrow, we'll start on preventing collapse due to fatigue."

"Thanks."

Then Timothy collapsed.

* * *

_It was a long day, but eventually, every doctor managed to gain the Healing Touch. Derek Stiles himself would be able to attest to that. Tomorrow, he would begin teaching classes on how to control and release the Healing Touch, but he would find that only a quarter of the original test would attend. The other 75% would be off, finally able to do their normal duties: saving lives using the Healing Touch. These 75% believed that they would be able to manage the class and some of them were right. _

_Others would collapse on the job, and then be forced to attend Derek's classes. _

_Derek himself was able to perform alongside the new doctors. Of course, it didn't take too long for him to become top surgeon once more, but Mercer made sure that Daemon didn't get any credit. Derek would perform the operation, but it was some other student who would get the reward of success. Derek and Mercer agreed not to attract any attention on "Daemon Sadahiro" in case his face gets out into public and people who knew Derek Stiles became suspicious as soon as they saw a man who looked just like him. That would be disastrous to Derek's ghost life. _

_Timothy, on the other hand, had advanced much more quickly with the Healing Touch. After the first day of classes, he ended up mastering his Touch and was now able to slow down time for a couple of minutes during an operation like Derek could before he came to the HOA. However, with each new operation, Derek noticed changes in his behaviour and personality. He had become more strict and uptight regarding work habits and so on. The only time he laughed anymore was with Mira; Timothy rarely talked to Derek anymore._

_In fact, all of the doctors had undergone personality changes. Derek noticed it considering that he was the only one not performing operations everyday (when HOA became more well-known for their success) and he had time to wander around after classes. The world in HOA became more and more depressing with each new operation success. _

_And Derek noticed it in himself as well._

_Anytime he used the Healing Touch, his mood would drop down to a mournful state, as though the patient had died instead of lived by his hand. He noticed this in the first three operations, but after the fourth, it had just blended in with his usual personality. As the GUILT in him advanced, his lack of care for the changes in him grew._

_Then, after about a month after HOA successfully creating doctors with the Healing Touch, it happened. _

_Kenneth Blackwell collapsed due to PGS. _

* * *

A/N: (Oki) I'm sorry about the confusing last part. That part of the story spans from the day after to a month after Derek (along with a couple other nurses) had given everyone their HT (Healing Touch) shot. This entire chapter wasn't my writing, but rather completely Kix's writing style (I told you we're practically identical when it comes to writing... I'm surprised as well).

The "fast forward" thing in italics is new to me as well as you. I have never done that because I'm usually patient with my chapters, but I guess Kix was running low on ideas and decided to fast forward the entire story by a little bit. On the bright side, she had reached her goal of about 9 000 words, so I'm proud of her (see, this chapter ended at about 3 100 words and when she showed it to me, I went all Phoenix Wright on her and made her write more... even if it meant releasing more of the plot. After the second try, she came to me with this incredible chapter of about 9 000 – 10 000 words and I was like "WOW... mainly because I was the one who had to edit it! *kidding!*)

Anyways, apparently, she needed a break from writing (FAIL), so I had to decide from two things.

1) I drop "Lost Hope" for a while and wait until Kix recovered.  
2) I drop "Trust" for a little while longer and give you guys the next chapter of "Lost Hope".

The decision was pretty easy. I've moved a ton far ahead in "Lost Hope", but since "Trust" is going nowhere AT ALL, I'm gonna stick with this fanfic and leave "Trust" be for another month or so (XD). In other words, faster updates are up ahead and I will be the one to write the next chapter, so stay tuned.

Oh yeah, and because the explaining on Derek's new memories was rather poor, I'll explain it here. Derek forgot anything involving Caduceus and the people in it. However, he still remembers all of the operations he performed (except Emilio's and anything that took place in Hope Hospital afterwards) and his brain assumes that he worked on them alone (so Angie is no longer in the picture).

Also, his brain assumed that all of these operations were performed after working as a mole for the HOA in Caduceus, hence the patch he found (but through that time, he didn't get along with anyone). This is why he doesn't like Caduceus: the Foaly Method had drilled the "fact" that he belonged in the HOA and that Caduceus was like an arch-rival or something. He knows he's Derek, but he forgot why he had to use an alias other than that it would be dangerous to stay under "Derek Stiles".

And if that just confused you more, I'm sorry, but I'm in a rush and I'm not very good at writing detailed explanations.

BTW, I'm SOO sorry we both got Timothy Grey's character wrong, but we tried to fix that (you'll see). The next chapter will take place in 4-6 of TC: UTK2 (Visitor). And I think that's about all I can add... I gotta stop typing or I'll be seriously late for school! =O Bye for now!

- EVERYBUDDY GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR KIX AND HER AMAZINGLY LONG CHAPTER! ^^ BEST ROOKIE EVAH! =D -


	6. Arcane Advantage

**Disclaimer**: Unfortunately, my diabolical plan to take over Capcom (EDIT: I mean Atlus... I'm writing Phoenix Wright fanfics, so yeah... =P) from the reaches of my bedroom has failed miserably, so I still own nothing. Derek and the gang in Trauma Center are property of Atlus. I think the only really belongs to me is the character of "Mira Sakami" (y'know, the nurse working with Timothy Grey).

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving peoples! It's Oki again. Kix was tired after writing one chapter, but unlike her, I have some pretty decent endurance when it comes to thinking and typing and stuff. It usually takes me about a week to create chapters of this calibre, only because I've given up on trying finding a beta-reader and I am one lazy proof-reader (there's a little tidbit about me).

So I want to know what you guys think about the story so far. I can already say that writing this story has been getting more and more difficult only because I'm not very good at writing about surgeries and character development. Unfortunately, this chapter is ALL ABOUT surgeries and character development, so ahead of time; I apologize for the fail writing that is to follow. (Yeah, it was so brilliant of me to write a 'Trauma Center' fanfic when I can't write anything about surgeries and such =P).

...And so here it is! Chapter 6 of "Lost Hope"! I'm sorry I have to keep saying this every single time at the beginning of the chapter, but it's honestly become a habit of mine, so deal with it! If you're still reading this chapter, which would be rather surprising (because I expected to lose people in Ch 5... no offence Kix) thank you so much because I've been working so hard on this story, but it would be nice if I got a few more reviews. Reading reviews gives me motivation, but I've been lacking motivation these days, so all I ask is if you take the time to give me a little "HOLY CRAP THIS CHAPTER WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!" or "good job" and the motivation will begin to flow into my hands again (just as long as I know that living people are reading all of this).

Please?  
Thanks.

Hope you like it! =D  
NOW READ!

* * *

The blur reappeared before Angie's eyes. Angie knew that it was calling out to her again like it had been all the other nights she's had this dream, but this time around, she knew what she had to do.

She had to scream his name.

"Derek!" she called out to the blur.

At that instant, anything muffling out the quality between Angie and the blur faded away. Angie let out an incredibly long sigh of relief as she gazed into the man's eyes deeply.

"Angie... you did it." Derek gave her a warm smile.

"Derek... so it really was you..." Angie hesitated a bit, but then after thinking for a little while, she moved to hug dream Derek. She had been expecting her hands to pass through the figure like in most movies when the heroine talks to a ghost, but her arms managed to wrap around a solid figure and she embraced it with all her strength, allowing her head to rest on the surgeon's shoulders. Tears that she had been holding back began to flow down her eyes like a surging waterfall. She found that the doctor's shoulders had become drenched in an instant, but neither of them really cared.

Derek returned the gesture by placing one arm over the nurse, then using the other to stroke her long blonde hair. "I missed you too, Angie." he gently whispered into her ear. Derek then nibbled on her ear a bit which ended up surprising Angie, but also caused a relaxing aura between the two. Both of them couldn't help but smile as they both knew that they had both been longing for each other's presence.

Angie hugged tighter around the surgeon's waist and Derek allowed the embrace to go on a little longer until he said, "Okay Angie, I need to breath."

Angie realized that she was hugging her partner too tightly and let go. She blushed a bit at her mistake. "I'm sorry about that, Derek." she replied as she looked down towards his feet.

"No Angie, I'm the one who should be sorry."

Angie looked up. "What do you mean?"

"It's my entire fault you're going through all this."

"It isn't your fault that you just happened to be walking when a crash occurred nearby and took your life. That was just... b-bad l-luck." Angie could barely get herself to say the last two words to Derek's face. She barely believed it herself.

One of the world's top surgeons died due to uncanny bad luck. The man who saved the world from the wrath of GUILT, the ultimate bio-terrorism weapon, died because he might have walked under a ladder the day before.

The way it played out just seemed so... cruel.

"No Angie, you're wrong." Derek replied. "It wasn't bad luck."

"What do you mean?"

"...I can't tell you."

Angie frowned. Why couldn't Derek tell her? If he just told her what really happened, then all this can be sorted out and Angie's dilemma would be completely resolved.

She thought a bit.  
And then realized the full truth of the matter.

Of course Derek couldn't tell her. This was all just a dream. This wasn't real. The Derek in this dream was just something Angie's mind created. He will only say things Angie already knows because it was her own mind that created this.

But if that's the case...  
"...Then that means I know that it wasn't bad luck that caused your death." Angie murmured. Derek gave her a rather content smile in return.

"Now you're getting it, Angie."

"Thanks Doctor Stiles."

Derek then stuffed one of his hands into his pockets. When he found what he was looking for, he took it out and dropped it onto the ground. When Angie noticed this, she looked down and examined the item.

Derek had dropped a toy of some sort.  
It looked just like a top.

"What is that?" Angie gave Derek a questioning look, but Derek raised an eyebrow and shrugged in return. The trademark "I don't know" hum came out of his mouth.

"Can I pick it up?" Angie then asked.

"It's your dream. You can do whatever you want."

To Angie, that meant a yes, and so she picked up the top to examine it more closely. It was one of those tops where you would wind it up on the twist mechanism that oddly resembled a drain. There was a button on top of the mechanism and that is what you would press after winding the top in order to release it and watch it spin.

Angie decided that she had nothing else to do, so she did just that. She wound up the top and pressed the button.

And as soon as the top hit the ground, it began to zip wildly around both Angie and Derek's feet.

"That's one fast top." Derek smirked as he watched the toy spin manically. The two continued to stare at the top's erratic pattern until it finally came to a complete stop and tipped over.

Angie then picked it up once more. She noticed that the base became rather warm due to the friction caused by spinning. As she looked at the details of the design more closely, she noticed something else about the top.

She had seen the design of it from somewhere.

The edges were blue triangles and the inner portions were blue, green, and white.  
Part of the top looked just like Nous.

There was another part on the bottom that she was pretty sure she hadn't seen it before, but she ignored it after the new discovery she had just made. What did the top mean?

Derek then abruptly broke her train of thought. "Listen Angie. I have to go." There seemed to be a faint light behind him, but as time passed, Angie noticed that the light began to grow.

Angie immediately looked up at the doctor with solemn eyes. "But why?"

"Simple. This is all a dream. You are about to wake up."

"Will I see you again?"

Derek shrugged. "Depends." He was about to turn and walk away, but he heard a whimper from behind him. He looked back and saw Angie trying to straighten herself out. Angie tried her best to give him a reassuring look, but as soon as Derek turned around again, another whimper, this time more audible, came from behind him.

"...I'm really sorry about this, Angie." Derek then sighed as he turned and walked back beside Angie and slung his arm over her. "I have no choice."

Angie shook away the tears and rubbed her eyes. "I understand Dr. Stiles." she replied. "But before you go, can you answer one more question for me?"

"...Sure, Angie."

"...Are you still alive?"

Derek's glasses seemed to glint in the light which continued to get brighter and brighter. He brought Angie closer to him, gave her a peck on the cheek, and then gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that question." he said. "Discredit nothing if you want to find the truth. I'm sure you will figure it all out." He nodded then turned around towards the light and began walking towards it once more.

"Goodbye... Dr. Stiles." Angie watched the figure, now a contrasting black silhouette in the light, walk farther and farther away from her. She clutched onto the top tightly to prevent herself from sobbing uncontrollably.

The shadow turned around and gave Angie a wave. Angie had to squint to see it as the light became blinding. "I miss you already, Ms. Thompson!" the figure called out. "Good luck!" The light then became even more ferocious and eventually, it completely absorbed both people...

* * *

...causing Angie to ironically wake up gently out of bed. She yawned and then turned on her bedside lamp. She squinted at the sight of the brilliant light now blinding her as she recollected everything that had occurred in her dream. She hadn't had that dream ever since Derek's funeral and she was unsure why it would come back now. This time, once again, was different than all of the others because this time around, it left a pleasantly warm feeling with her.

Angie brushed her hand against her cheek where Derek had lightly kissed her. The specific area tingled under her touch and she gave a smile. This had to be one of the most realistic dreams she's ever had.

She forced herself to lean against the wall to sit up on her bed. As she shifted, her back seemed to press down on something hard, causing Angie to hiss in pain. She pulled it out from underneath herself and held it up to the light of her lamp.

It was a top.  
The same top in her dreams.

She knew it.  
That was no ordinary dream.

* * *

Chapter Six: Arcane Advantage

Angie made it to Caduceus bright and early, with the top kept close to her at all times. When she entered the doors, she brought with her a bright and cheery aura that made everyone who saw her smile at the sight of her.

She made her way to the break room where Leslie, Tyler, and Adel were already waiting.

"Hey Angie!" Leslie greeted with the same upbeat attitude she had been able to keep despite all the events that had occurred. "You sure are happy today! What's the special event?"

"So what, I can't be happy when I come to work?" Angie replied with a rather cynical smirk.

Tyler sighed in response. "C'mon Angie. We all know that you have been thrown into a depression ever since _that _day..." Tyler didn't want to bring up the funeral and wreck Angie's cheery state of mind right away. "...So seriously? Why are you so happy?"

Angie sighed and pulled out the top.  
"Ta-da!" she exclaimed.

After examining the top, all three Caduceus staff returned Angie's smile with inquisitive looks. "What? Have you wanted a top for so long, Ms. Thompson?" Leslie asked with a hesitant look on his face. "You know, you could've told us and we could've gotten you one for Christmas..."

"No, look at the design of the top more closely" Angie exclaimed. "Doesn't it look remarkably like Nous?"

The three thought about what the mysterious GUILT that they had discovered in Emilio's liver looked like. They were pretty fresh and familiar with its design considering that they were still researching it. They then looked at the top more closely and realized that she was right.

"Are toy companies seriously that desperate these days?" Tyler groaned. "They're making toys out of GUILT designs? And how did that information leak out anyways?"

"No, I didn't get it from a store!" Angie replied. "I had a dream about Derek last night and then he gave me this top which I had never seen before. When I woke up, I found it right beside me." Angie then flipped the top upside-down to show the three the design of the top on the bottom. "And what is this part of the design supposed to be? This isn't part of Nous." Angie then wound up the top and released it, allowing all of them to watch as the top made its incredibly fast rotations across the floor. "And no top can spin that fast."

There remained as silence as the three were captivated by the spinning top. It eventually came to a stop and Angie picked it up and put the top back in her pocket. "This top is a sign." she continued. "It came from my dream, which was about Derek no less. This top gave me hope that Derek Stiles is still alive and that is why I am so happy today."

Adel gave her a consoling smile. "We know how much you want to believe that Dr. Stiles is still alive, Ms. Thompson, but bringing in items like that top in order to persuade us that he really is alive and that the man who was buried recently wasn't him isn't really..." Adel couldn't figure out a word to put after that sentence.

"...So you don't believe me?" Angie's smile flipped upside-down. "You all think that's I'm crazy and that I'm using a toy as though it were some sign."

The three looked away from Angie's gaze. None of them wanted to tell her that she was right.

"I'm sorry, Angie, but you have to let this charade rest." Leslie put a mournful hand on her shoulder. "We all saw him. Derek is really dead. Why can't you just respect that?"

Angie slapped the other nurse's hand away. "Fine. I don't care if you three don't believe me. I know what I saw and experienced was real and I won't let your non-believing attitude ruin it." She put on her smile again. "Can we just forget about this?"

All three of them nodded. "Deal." they said in unison.

Sidney Kasal then came into the break room. "There is a PGS patient waiting." He claimed. "I need to know if there is someone available here to operate on him as soon as possible. I had already asked the others on the Special Disease Counteraction Team, but all of them seem to be busy."

"Sorry Chief, but I have another patient scheduled today." Tyler replied. He then looked to Adel right beside him. "Hey Adel, why don't you give a shot at it?"

"What?" Adel gasped. It was clear that the African surgeon was caught off-guard by this. "B-But..."

"Don't worry about it." Tyler gave a reassuring pat on the back to the rookie surgeon. "I'm your teacher and I say that you are ready to do this."

"Alright, Adel. It looks like you'll be operating on your first PGS patient today." Sidney nodded to confirm that.

"But Chief—" Adel protested. Angie shook her head.

"There's no use arguing once Sidney decides something." Angie replied. "And besides, I will be your partner in there, so you should have nothing to worry about." Angie gave Adel a confident look and Adel nodded back to her.

"Okay. I'll do it." He replied.

"That's the spirit." Sidney said. He then gave Angie the charts and then turned and walked out to attend to other businesses that needed his attention.

"We should get going, Adel." Angie stated. She and the rookie surgeon then walked towards the door, but just before they were out, Angie turned back and looked at Tyler and Leslie. "So we'll see you later?" she asked.

"Yeah, right after Adel successfully saves a PGS patient, we can all go out for dinner. My treat!" Tyler replied, finally putting a wide grin on his face. "I believe in you, Tulba. Don't let us down."

"Yes sir!" Adel replied and with that, the two walked out of the door.

* * *

Adel soon managed to get scrubbed up and entered the OR where Angie was patiently waiting for him along with everyone else needed on the scene. The surgeon glanced over at the patient who looked docile for now. The only part of his body not covered up by the blue covers was the operation field and Adel already could tell that he was in trouble.

"I'll begin the briefing." Angie declared. Adel nodded with a nervous, but stern look on his face.

This was it.  
His first PGS operation.

"The patient has suffered from stomach tumours caused by Deftera in the past." Angie stated. "Due to PGS, these tumours have reoccurred and several blood pools have formed." Adel glanced at the chart and murmured something to himself about how sorry he feels for the patient. "Your objective in this operation is to excise the tumours and drain the blood pools."

"Right!" Adel exclaimed. He then nodded, pulled up his mask, and began the operation (not all surgeons have to be all dramatic before starting an operation, you know).

He applied antibiotic gel over the patient's stomach and made his incision. Soon, the stomach was in full view. It was completely swollen and had almost a dark purplish tinge. Adel hesitated and glanced at Angie, who nodded patiently.

"The patient has toxicosis, which is a symptom caused by PGS." Angie explained. "While toxicosis is in full effect, stabilizers will have little effect on the patient's vitals. You must inject the sedative before proceeding."

"Thank you, Angie." Adel replied. He took one of the syringes and injected the black sedative into the patient. Almost immediately, the organ took on a more pink healthy shade.

"Please proceed, Doctor." Angie stated.

Adel then began to drain the cytoplasm out of each of the tumours and then used the scalpel to excise them. However, blood pools started to form more rapidly, so he had to grab the drain and get rid of that problem. He then used to forceps to remove them one by one, injecting more toxicosis sedative and stabilizer along the way. Eventually, there were no more surprises and Adel was ready to close up.

As Adel stuck the bandage over the operation wound, Angie gave him a warm smile. "Congratulations on a successful operation. Dr. Tulba." she exclaimed with a rather cheerful smile. "You're lucky that there weren't any complications."

"No, thank you, Ms. Thompson. I couldn't have done it without your expert advice."

As the two walked out of the OR along with the patient as he was wheeled into the Recuperation Ward, Adel noticed the smile on Angie's face fade into a depressed mournful look. The surgeon couldn't think of anything that had gone tragically wrong in the patient, so he knew it must be something else.

"Is there something wrong, Angie?" Adel asked.

Angie flashed Adel a confused glance. "What do you mean?" she asked questioningly.

"Well... you looked rather depressed, so I thought something was wrong."

Angie stopped walking, causing Adel to stop in his tracks as well. She then gave him a long stare, causing the green-haired African to shift uncomfortably on his spot. Finally, she slowly mouthed some words which soon shifted into a smile.

"I can trust you." she finally stated.

Adel shook his head a bit out of disappointment that the nurse still didn't have her complete trust in him, but they were just finally getting to really know each other. They had just gone through an operation together which should've been the final link in the chain.

"What is it, Angie?"

"That operation... you just reminded me a lot of Derek as I watched you perform." Angie looked down towards her feet as she clenched her fists. The swelling emotions were overwhelming. "When I thought about it like that, I guess it ended up being revealed on my face as well. The operation you did was removing stomach tumours. If you remember back in Costigar that was basically the same operation Derek had to do after you accidentally misdiagnosed that patient. The way you treated your patient today..." Angie's mouth stopped working there.

Suddenly, Angie was completely wrapped around Adel's arms.  
Adel gently nudged his head over Angie's neck and smiled.

"If just being in your presence makes you sad..." Adel whispered into the blonde nurse's ear. "...then I believe that it would be right for you to find a new doctor to be partners with. I would be very understanding with the action."

Adel then let go and began to walk away when Angie called back out to him. "Wait!" she exclaimed. Adel turned around and watched as the nurse ran back and gave Adel another hug. "You reminding me of Derek is a good thing, Adel. If I can stay with you, it could help me hold on to the remnants of his legacy." Angie rested her head on Adel's shoulder. "You are what has risen from his ashes, Adel. I know you haven't been looking up to Derek lately after your operation, but in the end, you realized that it was Derek who helped you become the doctor you are today. Without him, you would still be a rookie surgeon in Costigar, unable to completely help others due to a lack of knowledge in the field. If it weren't for Derek taking you under his wing and bringing you to America, you would've never have gotten this far!"

Adel had been studying English a lot. His fluency had been improving each and every day. However, he couldn't find the right words to respond to what Angie just told him. All he could do is nod and mutter something to himself in Costigese.

"You're right, Angie." Adel murmured. "I'm sorry for bringing up such a preposterous idea to you. I just thought I was doing the right thing."

"It's alright, Adel." Angie replied softly. "You meant no harm." They let go and faced each other. Angie then stuck out her hand. "Partners?"

Adel accepted the gesture and shook the hand. "Partners." he stated.

After that, the two walked along side by side talking about how Adel has to start coping with Derek's full workload soon and the numerous patients that were coming in soon. Adel would simply sigh in return.

* * *

_A few days later..._

"Hey Angie!" Leslie called out one day. She had just walked into the break room when she saw the blonde nurse immersed in paperwork.

"Yes, Leslie?" Angie was relieved. Her neck had been begging her to return to its upright position. Angie's neck was sore from looking down at the work all of this time and now was glad that it had an excuse to look up.

"Don't you have the day off tomorrow?" she asked.

Angie chuckled. "Yeah, I do." she replied.

"Well, then thank goodness that you can finally take a break from all this paperwork and GUILT crap and finally have a little time for yourself!" Leslie replied with a smile on her face. She took a seat on the couch beside Angie and her stack of papers.

"I agree." Angie replied. She glanced towards the door and saw Adel walk in. She flashed him a smile, and then returned her attention to Leslie, who also glanced at Adel. "But I was actually planning to visit my father tomorrow, so I won't necessarily be away from GUILT."

Leslie sighed. "You and your dedication to saving the world. Derek must be rubbing off on you!" Leslie meant that as a joke, but as soon as she realized what she had said her face immediately went from cheery to mournful. "—Oh, I'm sorry." she quickly said.

However, Angie was laughing along with the joke. "Oh. It's no big deal, Leslie." Angie said. "It's not like suddenly, we're not allowed to say Derek's name around me anymore. And you're right; I guess he is rubbing off on me!" Seeing that Angie understood the joke, Leslie began to laugh along with her.

Noticing that Adel was still standing behind them in utter confusion, Leslie invited him to sit down and talk with the two nurses. Suddenly, Leslie came up with a brilliant idea.

"Hey Adel. Don't you also have the day off tomorrow?" Leslie asked.

"...I believe so."

"Then why don't the both of you use your day off and go visit Professor Blackwell together?" Leslie replied. "I mean, I don't believe Angie's dad has met you before, Dr. Tulba, so this would be a good opportunity to introduce yourself!"

"...I suppose." Adel replied sheepishly. He looked to Angie, who was still deciding whether to ignore Leslie to continue her paperwork or to stay in the conversation. "Angie, would this be alright with you?"

Angie snapped out of her train of thought. "_You _coming along with _me_?" Angie reiterated, putting a little emphasis on _you_ and _me_. Adel nodded slowly and nervously in response and Angie gave him a warm smile. "Don't worry about it. Dr. Tulba. I would be glad if you would be able to accompany me. I would like to introduce you to my father, Professor Blackwell, who also happens to be one of Caduceus' best inputs when it comes to GUILT research because he happened to work for Delphi for a while until Derek and I rescued him back at the Delphi lab..."

Angie finally slowed down.  
She had been so proud of her dad's accomplishments, but as soon as Derek's name was brought up in her speech, the painful memories flowed in. Her dad had Savato at the time, but fortunately, Derek had been able to save him.

Victor bursting in managed to save the three from the awkward silence. "I heard that you were going to visit Professor Blackwell tomorrow." he exclaimed. Angie nodded. "Well, I have some files I need to give him about the GUILT we found in Elysium. We analyzed the letter Elysium had received before the attack and we're sure that Delphi has returned. I need you to give this to him." Victor handed Adel the files, not even asking whether or not they would accept as he left to return to the lab.

"I guess we're forced to be Victor's mailmen..." Angie muttered.

The file wasn't too large, but it was putting a considerable amount of unwanted weight in Adel's hands. He decided that it would be okay to take a little peek to not let his efforts go to waste. Inside, he saw several pictures and test results of the GUILT in Emilio's liver with notes attached. The bold letter caught Adel's eye and he quickly read it.

**GUILT specimen unmatched with current database – Labelled: Nous**

Adel then flipped past Victor's notes in his handwriting and found another section on the GUILT outbreak in Elysium. One of the papers was a copy of the letter Delphi had allegedly sent and the rest was more info on the forms of GUILT that were released. There was also a little sticky note describing a witness account about a strange man on the grounds before the incident.

Adel sighed and closed the files.  
This information was not for him.

"I will see you tomorrow then, Ms. Thompson?" Adel said to the nurse who decided to go work on her paperwork once more. Angie glanced up, her face calm.

"Sure, Adel. Meet me here tomorrow and we'll go together."

Angie resumed her paperwork while Leslie continued to chat. Adel left the room to continue his studies and get on with the day. He was pretty excited to meet Angie's dad as the two have never met each other before. He had already heard of him in the past and knew that he was an important man to the downfall of Delphi.

What he didn't know was that this time around, tomorrow would bring the downfall of the important man.

* * *

"Ah Angie..." Kenneth sighed. He felt relieved. He hadn't seen his daughter in ages ever since he had been placed in the Penitentiary.

"Hello Father." Angie replied with a casual smile. Adel flashed a smile as well, but he didn't know what to say. The Cotigarian wasn't very comfortable around new people; especially if the conversation happens to be in such a foreign location (like jail).

"Are you going to introduce me to your friend here?" Kenneth exclaimed calmly.

Angie gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry about that!" She had accidentally completely forgotten about Adel's presence. "This is Adel Tulba. He was Derek's pupil and is a very talented surgeon. After Derek _left_, he's now my new partner in operations."

Adel accepted a handshake with Kenneth. "I'm pleased to meet you, Professor Blackwell." he said.

"And I, you." Kenneth replied. He then looked to his daughter and gave her a warm smile. "It's been a while." he said.

"I agree." Angie replied. "I apologize for not visiting you more often."

"It's fine. I'm just glad that my daughter and your new partner are out there saving the world from catastrophe people like me have caused."

"There is no need to bring yourself down, Professor Blackwell." Adel replied. "I have heard from Angie the circumstances placed upon you while working for Delphi. You were just trying to save your daughter by co-operating. And now, you are on our side, aiding in the war against GUILT." Adel then remembered the files and handed them over to Angie's father. He accepted them, and then placed them onto his desk behind him.

"Thank you." Kenneth said. "I had been anticipating the results of the additional tests I had Victor perform for a while now. I guess things at Caduceus began to slow down a bit after Derek... left." He had heard how much his daughter had been hurt by the incident, so he knew that he must take any references to Derek's death lightly when around her.

"So... about the incident at Elysium..." Angie started. Her reasons for coming here basically revolved around that topic.

"I was guessing you have already heard..." Kenneth started. "...but by the looks of your faces, I'm guessing Victor hasn't told you."

"About what?" Angie was genuinely confused and a little frightened.

"About how Delphi has resurfaced. They are in operation once more."

"No! That can't be!" Angie exclaimed. "After we worked so hard..."

Adel murmured to himself. He remembered this information in the files he had just given to Professor Blackwell. The letter was of Delphi's work and Victor discovered that the strains of GUILT from the outbreak and the one in Emilio didn't mutate naturally. The disaster was man-made, meaning Delphi was positively back.

"I thought they had captured everyone involved in Delphi!" Angie continued. "Who else would want to continue Delphi's plans?"

"Well... not everyone had been successfully contained." Kenneth replied. "There was one GUILT researcher that had escaped and he went by the codename "Zum Whol". He is most likely the one running Delphi today."

"That could be trouble." Adel muttered to himself. He knew that he didn't truly belong in this conversation, considering how little he took part in the war against GUILT himself. He had never performed a GUILT extraction and the simple PGS operation the other day was the only experience he had.

Suddenly, Kenneth clutched to his chest. "Ngh... what? Is this...?" he groaned. He suddenly collapsed to the floor.

"F-Father?" Angie exclaimed. She immediately bent down beside her father who was in utter pain. She felt rather helpless and began to panic.

"Professor Blackwell!" Adel hissed. The quiet tone still carried on into this panicked state. He too knelt down beside Angie and examined his symptoms. Afterwards, he only came to one conclusion. He then turned to Angie. "Has your father been infected with GUILT in the past?" Adel asked.

Angie could only nod.

"Then this is PGS." Adel finished.

The security guard suddenly came into the room. "What happened?" he exclaimed.

"My father collapsed!" Angie replied. "We think it might be Post-GUILT Syndrome. If so, we need to operate on him immediately!"

"We need to get him to the medical ward!" Adel continued, but then Angie placed her hand on his shoulder.

"My father has a research lab in this building funded by Caduceus. We should run our tests there." she explained.

"I see." Adel then helped lift the ex-Delphi operative onto the light flat coffee table and he and the security guard helped lift the man out of his chamber and into the research lab next door. Angie grabbed the Chiral detector and ran it down her father. When there was no Chiral reaction, she sighed in relief that he hadn't been infected with GUILT. However, this meant that her father was suffering from PGS.

Once again, the men lifted the professor onto the coffee table and carried him over to the medical ward where they placed him into a medical gown. Kenneth groaned in pain through the entire process.

Soon, Kenneth was prepped for surgery, but this led Adel to one major problem. "Angie..." he started. "...Who will be the one operating today?"

Angie looked back as though Adel had just asked the most idiotic question in the world. "You of course!" she exclaimed. "I mean, do you see any other skilled surgeons around here?"

Adel looked at the security guard who smiled nervously in return.

She's right.  
There's no way that security guard could be some secret agent genius surgeon or something.

"B-but I have to operate on another PGS patient...?" Adel said under his breath. "You trust me to operate on your _dad_, Ms. Thompson?"

Angie sighed. "We have no choice!" she replied. "And besides, if I didn't trust you, I would've asked the security guard to operate!" She gave a look at the guard that told him that he had to leave. The guard did as he was told.

"Adel."

Suddenly, the voice of Angie's dad hung through the air. Adel quickly turned to the dying patient.

"You are Derek's protégé, correct?"

Adel nodded.

"Then if you learned well and you are as you say, I have nothing to worry about." Kenneth chuckled to himself. "Some of Derek's luck may have rubbed off on you."

"_Then that's a shame."_ Adel mentally retorted._ "Because his __**luck**__ was what got him killed."_

"Adel, we have to scrub up now!" Angie yelled. She was already out the door and Adel had no choice but to follow. He was pretty sure that this would be a challenging operation, but he knew that he would try his best to save Angie's dad.

The professor was right: Derek's skill has probably rubbed off on him. Angie said so herself and her dad clearly noticed.

Adel's confidence grew.  
He could do it!

* * *

"Let's begin!" Adel exclaimed right after the briefing. He glanced once more at Angie's dad who was sleeping due to the anaesthesia.

"There couldn't possibly be more pressure on me to be successful than there is now." Adel sighed to himself as he made the entry incision over the heart. "Here we go... time to perform some heart-stopping surgery! –Hopefully not literally, of course."

Adel and Angie gazed over the operation field in confusion. Angie gasped in surprise while Adel remained quiet. The two were unsure about what they were seeing.

"What is this, Angie?" Adel whispered.

"It... it can't be!" she exclaimed in return. The two watched as one of the tumours changed colour from blue to red. "What kind of tumours are these?"

"They must have mutated to somehow change pigments when in contact with major blood vessels." Adel said. Though this was rare, he had read this off of one of Victor's files that he had just handed over to Kenneth an hour ago. The tumours have pigments which react to the flowing bloodstream in major blood vessels over the heart. However, because the heart moves, the blood vessels move along with it which cancels out the different colour and changes it back to the "original" blue colour.

"My guess is that you extract the tumours, but make sure not to touch them when they're red." Angie explained as she handed Adel over the scalpel. "Because they're in contact with major blood vessels when they're red, my father's vitals could take a serious hit if you touch them."

Adel nodded in understanding and proceeded to carefully cut around the tumours, extract them with the forceps, and then place synthetic membrane over the wound. After a long wait, Angie and Adel sighed in relief as all visible tumours were extracted without serious causalities.

"Wait Doctor." Angie said just before Adel grabbed the sutures. "We should wait in case any more appear."

Adel nodded. "Good idea Angie." he said as he put down the sutures and smiled at the nurse to commend her patience, thoroughness, and carefulness. They waited a few minutes.

Suddenly, the reaper came out of Hell.

"I-It can't be!" Angie exclaimed.

The final tumour finally appeared. Adel and Angie couldn't keep up with its rapidly changing colours. It would be almost impossible to extract it.

"...My father would die..."

Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of how impossible it would be to extract it.

Then she realized that it wasn't up to her to do that.

She turned to Adel.  
And gasped sharply.

Adel's eyes were locked on the patient's heart as he held onto the scalpel so tightly, his hands were shaking and his knuckles were white.

"I can do this..." Adel murmured to himself underneath his breath. He slowed his heart rate down by breathing in and out slowly, and then gave all his attention to the fast-moving tumour. "If Derek's 'luck' and 'skill' truly rubbed off on me, then I pray that this fact comes to fruition now."

Adel drew a star with his scalpel in the air, keeping the rapidly flashing tumour in the center.

Next thing anyone knew, the tumour had been successfully removed and placed on the tray. Kenneth's heart was expertly patched up and his chest has already been stitched up and bandaged.

The only thing missing...

"H-how..." Angie was shocked. She was unsure as to what had just occurred there. As she gazed over the operation field, she realized that she of all people should know what had happened.

Adel just used the Healing Touch.  
And his Healing Touch managed to slow down time in such an incredibly fast rate that he had been able to complete the operation in a split second. All of that power must have been building up and when Adel released it, it simply burst using up an incredible amount of energy.

Speaking of Adel, where was he?

Angie looked down to the ground where the African doctor had collapsed and now was sleeping peacefully. It was obvious that this would have taken a humungous toll on his body. Derek had experienced the same thing the first time he had used it. The nurse smiled in thanks at the doctor, even though she knew that he wouldn't see it.

Out of nowhere, the security guard burst in.

"Ma'am, I called Caduceus on for back-up!" he explained as Tyler and Leslie ran from behind the guard's shoulder.

"Angie, where's the emergency patient?" Tyler asked exasperated. Angie just gave him a calm smile.

"There's no need of your assistance. Dr. Tulba saved my father." Angie explained as Leslie walked slowly towards the man on the operating table.

"She's right." Leslie continued as she took the vitals of Adel and Kenneth. "They're both stable." Leslie then gave a strange look at Adel. "Why did he collapse?" she asked.

"Let's just say that it needed an incredible power to save the day." Angie chuckled.

"You don't mean—"

"Yeah. Adel has the Healing Touch."

Leslie gave a look of awe and amazement towards Angie. They then looked to the other doctor of Asclepius where they sighed deeply, mainly of annoyance. Tyler was right beside him, giving the African a small nudge to the rib using his foot.

"So we were called all the way out here JUST to watch you take a nap, Adel?" Tyler exclaimed. Leslie grabbed a hold of Tyler's shoulder just as he was about to kick the doctor awake and made him stop.

"Tyler, let him rest." Leslie said. "He needs it."

"What do you mean? He made us drive all the way to the middle of nowhere and it turns out that we weren't needed!"

"Yeah, but..." Leslie sighed. Tyler was just too stubborn. "...Angie'll explain it to you." She pushed Tyler towards the blonde nurse against his will and there, Angie explained the events that had just occurred.

At the end of the story, Tyler too gave Adel a look of amazement. "So he too had the talent after all."Tyler chuckled lightly to himself. "Though it might not make sense, he probably got it from Derek."

"Like teacher, like pupil, I guess." Leslie continued. She then looked to Angie who was simply standing there awkwardly, then to Adel, then back to the awkwardly placed nurse. "Are you sure nothing's going on..." Leslie suddenly said with an oddly cheery tone in her voice.

"What do you mean...?" Angie protested. A rather confused face was placed on Angie as she looked back at the mischievous Leslie, but inside, Angie knew where this was headed and she didn't like it.

"Well..." Leslie gave her a wink and Angie sighed.

"Tyler is starting to rub off on you, Leslie." Angie retorted.

And with that, the three of them helped Kenneth onto a stretcher to get him ready to be sent to Caduceus. Adel too was to be put on a stretcher, but he would rest up in the break room on the couch where Angie and Tyler would lazily throw him on.

* * *

_This takes place in the time of 5-1._

Angie walked quickly into the break room with an immense stack of papers and books carefully balanced in her cradled arms. "Tyler, have you seen Director Hoffman around?" Angie inquired as she saw the blonde surgeon calmly resting upon the couch drinking a cup of hot coffee.

"Oh, no, sorry." Tyler replied. He then took a sip from his mug and sighed as he put the coffee down onto the table in front of him. He then got up and helped carry part of Angie's load. "Have you tried the office?"

"Of course I did." Angie replied with a sarcastic tone. "That was the first place I looked."

Adel then walked into the break room and yawned. "Hello Dr. Chase, Angie." he greeted as he walked up to them. They both smiled in return.

"Adel, what did I say about calling me 'Dr. Chase' outside of the classroom...?" Tyler smirked and Adel scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Sorry, Tyler."

Angie sighed afterwards. Her arms were now numb with the weight of the papers and books, even though Tyler relieved her of half the load. "Adel, do you know where Director Hoffman is?"

Adel shook his head apologetically. "No I don't." Seeing that Angie was struggling, Adel then moved to help her with the load as well. Angie let out a sigh of relief as the load in her arms once again decreased.

"Thanks Adel." she exclaimed happily.

Suddenly, the PA burst in. "May Tyler chase please report to the waiting room." It stated. Tyler nodded with a smile and dropped his load into Adel's arms. He then shook his arms around, and gave the pair a large smile. "Sorry you guys! I gotta run!" he exclaimed as he literally ran out the door, relieved that he no longer had to carry the load.

Adel sighed as the extra weight strained the muscles in his arms as he and Angie listened to Tyler's chuckling as he ran down the hall in glee. The blonde surgeon sure felt like he had a lucky break, but it was understandable. These papers were heavy!

Angie then heard recognisable voices on the other side of the hall. Fortunately, it was just who she was looking for.

"Adel, follow me!" she exclaimed as she walked out the door. Adel had no choice but to follow.

The two then ran into Sidney Kasal and Robert Hoffman who seemed to be locked in a rather intriguing conversation with two other people neither Adel nor Angie had ever seen before.

"...Unfortunately, our country's health care system has a great deal of shortcomings..." the older man of the two newcomers continued with a surprisingly stern look on his face that read of importance and experience. "...the lack of doctors, the cost of entering the field, and the gap between the rich and poor. Even the skill level of doctors from one hospital to the next varies widely. These are all problems I have been fighting to solve."

Adel listened in attentively to the man's words. The problems he had mentioned were quite realistic problems in society and if that man really found a solution to those problems...

Adel shook it out of his head as he noticed that Angie was signalling for him. She had already walked ahead. Adel quickly rushed over to her side.

"Director Hoffman." Angie said. "Here are those reports on PGS the R&D department wanted to give to you." Hoffman looked at Adel and Angie with eyes of a hawk, first eyeing at their faces, then at the massive stack of paper in their hands. Tonight was going to be a long night.

"Thank you, Angie." Hoffman replied. He then turned back to the two people he was speaking with and decided to introduce them. "Angie, Adel, I would like to introduce you to—"

"My name is Patrick Mercer." Mercer didn't even notice that he had cut Hoffman off. The head of HOA smiled at the nurse and nodded politely at Adel. "I'm sorry about what had happened to your previous partner, but I'm sure you won't let that event prevent you from assisting doctors in their quest to save others."

"Thank you, Mr. Mercer." Angie replied with a smile. "And I'm fine. I'm actually helping Adel here out with his operations now. He was _his_ pupil." Angie shifted her sight from Mercer to Adel because she couldn't move her arms with the load. Adel smiled nervously to Mercer who ended up following Angie's gaze to him. The strain on his arms was a lot more unnerving than Angie's.

"Daemon, why don't you help the doctor out with the load?" Mercer then said with a kind smile. The other man nodded.

"Yes sir." Daemon then went over and lifted up Adel's entire load as though it were a feather.

"So your name is Daemon?" Angie asked as the man accompanying Mercer walked back over beside his boss.

"That is correct." Daemon replied coolly. "My name is Daemon Sadahiro and I am a surgeon for the HOA as well as a professor."

Angie gazed at the man carefully. Even though she didn't know anybody who went by the name 'Daemon', she felt as though she had seen this man before. Something about him seemed so familiar. Nostalgia washed over her as she continued to stare at his face. He had raven black hair and piercing yellow eyes.

Daemon noticed that the blonde nurse was staring at him and gave her an apathetic look back. Angie noticed her mistake and blushed while looking down. She then regained her composure and looked back to the doctor and smiled. "My name is Angie Thompson." She said. "Daemon... That is quite a unique name, Mr. Sadahiro."

"Thank you." Derek replied. "Please. If you like my first name, then I would prefer it if you called me by that. There is no need to be so formal." The empty expression on his face turned into a small smile towards Angie.

Derek rubbed his eyes a bit. After a while, his eyesight had somehow improved and he found that he no longer needed glasses. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he was surprised at how drastically his eye colour had changed from brown to yellow as well, but knew that this was all probably effects of the enhancement serum and the Neo-GUILT.

"So you are a surgeon, Daemon?" Hoffman asked with a curious feeling. He then looked to Mercer. "Why did you want to bring him along?"

Mercer smiled back. The truth was that he wanted to bring Derek along with him in order to test him. He wanted to see how effective the Foaly Method and the Neo-GUILT was and so far, it was working. Derek had no recollection of anything involving Caduceus. He didn't even recognise his previous boss, his partner, and his pupil. The smile on Mercer's face grew larger at the thought. He then focused his attention to the head of Caduceus USA and then glanced to Derek. "He's our top surgeon and the best professor at HOA." Mercer explained. "I figured that he deserves to come and visit with me and see other top medical facilities."

"I see." Hoffman replied. He looked to the yellow-eyed surgeon and his impassive look. The elder surgeon then looked at the load in his guest's arms and decided that it would be rather rude to leave it at that. "Adel?" Hoffman started. "Do you mind if you take these papers and bring them over to the office. Just put them on my desk."

Adel looked at the stack that he had just been relieved of and tried his best not to sigh in disappointment in front of his boss. "Yes sir!" Adel exclaimed with as much enthusiasm as he could muster considering the task and took the papers and books from both Angie and Daemon, and then made his way to the elevators. He kicked the button for the fourth floor with his foot and smiled at the group as the doors closed.

Angie sighed. "What a relief to be rid of that load." she said cheerfully. "Isn't that right, Daemon? I mean, you had most of the weight to carry!"

"It was okay." Derek replied without too much enthusiasm. "It wasn't too heavy."

Suddenly, Sidney's phone began to buzz, startling him and causing him to clumsily slip the phone out of his pocket and put it to his ear. "Excuse me." he said briefly, then listened to what the person had to say on the phone.

"What? Is it an emergency...! What's her condition...? I'm sorry, you're breaking up! You say she has PGS in her stomach? Alright, get her to the OR!" Sidney then hung up and though his face was calm and collected, inside he was frantic. "Angie, is Tyler available?"

"Umm... no, sorry sir." Angie replied. "He was called to meet someone down in the waiting room a few moments ago."

Sidney sighed deeply. "And Dr. Clarks is away on his day off... Adel won't make it down here in time..."

"Ah, Sidney, if I may..."

Sidney suddenly glanced at Mercer who had spoken up and snapped him out of his train of thought.

"Yes?"

"Well, like I have said before, Daemon is our top surgeon. He may be able to assist you."

Sidney glanced to the surgeon beside him. Even though they had just met, Sidney knew how to almost tell if people had talent and was capable of the task ahead just by looking at them. Daemon looked rather competent and though he was young, it was clear that he had experience.

"Alright, Dr. Sadahiro. I will let you operate under myself and Mercer's discretion." Sidney finally said.

"I already said that it would be fine." Mercer replied. "Daemon, you know how to operate on PGS, correct?"

"Yes sir." Derek replied. He then looked to Angie. "Would you like to assist me?"

Another wave of nostalgia washed over Angie as she nodded in reply. "Sure, Daemon. I would be glad to assist you today. I want to see the skill of HOA's top surgeon in the OR for myself. I'm quite curious."

Sidney then clasped his hands together in approval. "Then you two better scrub up. Angie, please lead Dr. Sadahiro to the OR. We'll watch from the observation deck."

The two groups then split and left to their respective places. Mercer watched as his employee walked quickly along with his old partner, not even having the slightest clue who the person right beside him really was.

"_Foaly, you've done it again."_ Mercer smirked to himself, and then continued to walk behind Robert Hoffman and Sidney Kasal. _"Now do me proud, Derek."_

* * *

As soon as Angie began the briefing, Adel finally arrived. "What did I miss?" the African surgeon exclaimed. "Is Dr. Sadahiro operating?"

"Yes, Dr. Tulba." Hoffman replied quietly. "But I need you to step in if anything goes wrong, okay?"

"Yes sir!"

Mercer glared at Hoffman for not having confidence in his best man, but he didn't want to say anything. He didn't want to provoke him.

"...I'll start the briefing." Angie declared. Daemon nodded in response. "This patient has been infected by GUILT before and is currently suffering from tumours in her stomach due to the effects of PGS. We need to excise and extract the tumours and drain the blood pools" Angie then glanced over to the four up on the observation deck. "I hope you know what you are doing, Doctor."

Derek gave the blonde nurse a sceptical look. "You don't believe in me?" he sneered. "Don't worry." He then pulled down his glove. "I will save her!" he exclaimed dramatically. That was probably the most emotion he had shown in Caduceus all day.

"Alright, let's do our best Doctor!" Angie replied.

He then smeared antibiotic gel over the patient's stomach and incised a straight line over the stomach. Soon, the blackened stomach was in view.

"Toxicosis..." Derek muttered to himself. He looked to the tray, took the black sedative and syringe, then injected it into the patient in order to subside the toxicosis. He then drained any visible blood pools and began his hunt for tumours.

Angie watched as the doctor in front of her somehow found three tumours without even using the ultrasound. _"He's incredible..."_ Angie thought. She was actually rather surprised along with the other spectators in the observation deck.

Derek quickly excised the tumours he had found along with the smaller tumours that had suddenly formed. Soon, after applying the synthetic membrane over the scars, he rubbed them gently with the antibiotic gel, making sure that the areas later on won't disrupt the stomach actions or leave a scar.

"The affected area has been treated." Angie stated. "However, her vitals still aren't stabilizing. There may be more tumours—"She was suddenly cut off by the steady hum the machines made. The patient was flat lining!

"No! The patient is undergoing cardiac arrest!" Angie exclaimed.

"Charge the AED!" Derek clamoured. Angie grabbed the paddles after applying the gel and Derek placed them onto the patient's chest. "Clear!"

And after one try, they managed to recover the patient's pulse. The surgeon quickly applied some stabilizer into the patient before continuing the operation. He then looked around the stomach for more tumours as he cleared any blood pools that had formed along the way. Soon, any tumours he could find were excised and extracted.

Suddenly, tumour reaction had increased and several blood pools appeared. "Tumour reaction has increased!" Angie exclaimed. Her heart was honestly racing, though Daemon remained calm. "Please check the areas we've already treated again!"

Derek only excised one tumour when he suddenly found that the drain was malfunctioning. It ended up spitting out some of the blood that he had just drained. He quickly turned it off.

"_Wow, for a top-notch association, the equipment is crap..."_ Derek mentally retorted. _"For it to break down in the middle of an operation is just beyond ridiculous."_

"I-I'll get a new drain ready immediately!" Angie yelled as she ran out of the OR and towards the supply room. "Hang in there!"

Daemon simply smirked. "Take your time, Ms. Thompson!" he called back as he stared at the patient. He injected more of the toxicosis sedative and injected a bit more stabilizer. He then finished fixing up the tumour scar he had been working on before discovering the drain malfunction. Soon, Angie rushed back, plugged in the new drain, then handed it over to Daemon.

"The new drain is ready to go!" Angie proclaimed. "Please use it to drain the blood."

"Will do!" Derek replied. He then finally decided that this would be an appropriate time to get this operation over with.

He activated his Healing Touch.

* * *

Angie watched in awe as the doctor threw the drain into his left hand and then picked up the scalpel with his right hand. He held it in the same manner Derek would when...

...She realized what he was going to do.

All of the spectators watched as Daemon drew the star, and then unleashed his Healing Touch. Angie had always been able to follow along when Derek used the Healing Touch, but this time, the surgeon in front of her was just too fast. He went at double the speed Angie ever remembered Derek going and his movements were just flawless. No one spoke as Daemon quickly finished the operation without injecting any stabilizers. However, Angie noticed that somehow, the vitals seemed to go up with every little thing he fixed.

"_His Healing Touch slows down time AND raises vitals...?"_ Angie mentally noted. _"I've never seen that before!"_

Daemon sutured and bandaged the incision before finally releasing his Healing Touch. He then looked to Angie in the same callous look he always seemed to have after every time he used the Healing Touch. By this time, he was already used to the feeling and didn't bother it. Though he was depressed, as long as he saved the patient, then it was worth it.

"Dr. Sadahiro! You're just incredible!" Angie exclaimed. She looked the doctor in the eye and noticed that his eyes seemed to be a little more... yellow than usual. His eyes almost seemed as though they glowed and radiated power. "I can't believe you have the Healing Touch!"

Derek simply looked away and said nothing.

Adel, Sidney, Hoffman, and Mercer then walked into the room with a smile of astonishment on their faces. They then greeted the two and congratulated them on a successful operation.

"That was a spectacular operation!" Mercer exclaimed happily as he walked up beside Derek. "See, the HOA has been striving to reach a skill level as high as Asclepius, hence the name. Of course, there are many who doubt that it could be done, but that is normal. However, now that you have seen proof of our success, what will you say now?"

"Mr. Mercer..." Sidney replied. "What do you mean?"

"The Asclepius Project was made to give doctors the Healing Touch." Mercer explained. "And as you can see, the research has succeeded! Though Daemon has had the ability of the Healing Touch previously, we have been able to modify and improve it. And so his skill level, dare I say, surpasses even Derek Stiles himself!"

"That would explain why his Healing Touch is capable of two abilities..." Angie murmured. She then looked at Mercer in the eye. "But how do you know that he would trump Derek?"

Mercer couldn't help but chuckle. If only she knew that the man in front of her was Derek himself. After he had joined the HOA, Derek had nowhere to go but up. The Derek she was referring to was the one who had 'died' just before joining the HOA, but Daemon Sadahiro, the 'new' Derek, has only gotten better from that period, thus his comment.

"I guess you're right." Mercer replied. "I had no right to say that." He then looked to Derek who was still calmly watching the conversation. "We should get going now." Mercer stated. "Daemon, clean up and meet me outside."

Daemon simply nodded and exited the room. Mercer nodded and followed along, leaving the Caduceus staff in an awkward silence.

"Can you believe how incredible he was?" Adel suddenly said. Everyone turned to him.

"I agree." Hoffman replied. "The operation was rather exciting to watch. I haven't seen such incredible skill in a long time." He then looked to Sidney, then to Adel. "I'll be honest. Mercer had a good reason to say that Dr. Sadahiro has skill that could surpass Derek... I was honestly thinking the same thing. If he could get all HOA doctors to that skill level or at least relatively close by giving them the Healing Touch, then there truly would be a revolution in medicine." The elder surgeon sighed. "But unfortunately, there aren't a lot of doctors out there who could truly handle the burden the Healing Touch will bring them. I hope this is right..."

* * *

Adel, Angie, and Hoffman met up with Mercer and Daemon just before they left outside in front of the building. Sidney had to go because he had another meeting in a few minutes.

"Alright, farewell." Hoffman waved as the Mercer and Daemon got into the limo. "Thank you for the wonderful operation as well!"

Mercer smiled and said good bye in return.  
Daemon simply lifted his hand up in the air.

Angie smiled at Daemon. There was something about him that brought old nostalgic and good feelings to her, but at the same time, she felt as though these feelings couldn't be trusted. She clutched onto Derek's anniversary bracelet which she kept on her right wrist and smiled as they closed the door and began to walk away. Hoffman and Adel walked away afterwards, but Angie continued to watch as the limo slowly taxied its way out of Caduceus territory and onto the main street.

The limo turned and drove towards the freeway, passing by Caduceus one more time.

Angie was focussing on the windows, keeping her eyes on the silhouette that was supposed to be Daemon.  
When it passed by, that's when Angie saw it.

Daemon took off his disguise.

* * *

A/N: Of course, Angie can't be sure of whom he really was because the windows were tainted and she could only see a dark silhouette. She just saw him take off his wig, but then the car completely passed by out of her seeing range.

Yes, I know. I wanted the little tidbit with Derek revisiting Caduceus a little more fun and enjoyable to type, but I've been more and more depressed about this story with every chapter. The first reason is because I hate having to warp a good character's personality to suit my needs, but unfortunately, due to the Foaly Method and the effects of the GUILT in Derek, I'm forced to do that for the sake of the plot. The more important second reason is that no one's been actually reading my hard work and if they do (which is like only ten of you right now), you guys don't actually review. So I've been lacking serious motivation thinking that there's no point working so hard (because no one's gonna read this story anyways) and it would be nice to hear some feedback.

So for the sake of my sanity (it's hard to balance between school and this story) and for the plot to continue, please review!

Oh yeah, good news!  
I estimate that this is halfway through the story so there will be about seven to nine chapters left before this fanfic's over! Can you believe it? (Just remember that I'm trying my best to follow the plot of the actual TC:UTK2, but with what I believe would happen if Mercer got Derek to join the HOA in Chapter 3... and if Arthur Foaly existed in the game XD).

Hehe, this is a milestone!  
11 000 words!  
This is just a filler chapter and it has the most words! ^^

**Derek**: My eyes are... yellow?  
**Me**: Well yeah. I mean, Adel's eyes became a sharp red when he got the GUILT (everyone noticed it), so your eyes should change colour and be either yellow or orange and I chose yellow! XD  
**Derek**: But my eyes were previously brown...  
**Me**: But brown IS a mix of yellow and orange! =O

(But seriously... according to the colour spectrum, brown is right in the middle of orange and yellow... =D)

Which reminds me: Sorry for the confusion with the names... I couldn't help but alternate between using "Daemon" and Derek" to avoid too much confusion, but it turns out that this plan was more detrimental than beneficial. *sigh*

And the contradiction of where the letter that was found in Elysium before the attack was in the folder Kenneth received... Derek and Angie never saw the contents of said information, so they still had no way of knowing about it until Mercer mentioned it in the real storyline. This time around, I don't really care about the letter, so yeah...

And yes, that last part w/ Mercer and Daemon's visit: that was SUPPOSED to be part of Chapter 7, but then Chapter 6 would be too short and Chapter 7 would be too long, so yeah. =P


	7. Black Saviour

**Disclaimer**: Anything you absolutely KNOW is pure Trauma Center belongs to Atlus.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to bring you this chapter... Chapter 9 was an absolute doozy and on top of that, my internet crashed for a while -_-". Ugh... well, on the bright side, the climax is coming soon and we're 6 chapters away before the actual end of this story (Chapter 13 is the epilogue ^^)! I'm so proud of myself! =D

Anyways, it's about time I got Chapter 7 up! (like seriously! =O) Is this a filler chapter? Eh... to be honest, none of these chapters are filler chapters. When you have the entire plot of the story and of each chapter planned out ahead of time, there's no need for improvised filler chapters (just so you know.)

And let me all remind you once more: Derek never wears his disguise when in HOA HQ and Daemon Sadahiro is still basically Derek... just with a few (a lot of) personality tweaks due to the Neo-GUILT inside him (I agree... the concept is rather hard to grasp, but it all comes to fruition in a few chapters ^^). AND I DON'T CARE IF EVEN MAH OC'S ARE OOC... it's sad to admit, but I've always had trouble with character personalities... I found my weakness! =D I also seem to enjoy making people assume the wrong things... it's hilarious to me (especially because I know what that feels like in real life), so I don't care if it comes across you wrong... no flames for that, k'?

- No flames for the random mood swings too, alright? Like I said, no beta-reader added with the fact that my normal consultant is busy and I had no clue how to fix it... so sorry!

Alright, you can go read now!

* * *

"_The demon which built a nest within me now begins to awaken. In the middle of the chaos, I lost sight of myself." _

_~Advent Devil - Kaito~_

...

Timothy walked out of the library with a binder filled with his notes and two textbooks in his arms. His eyes looked dull as he gazed down the hallway towards his office. It has only been four months since he had received his physical enhancement program and though life was supposedly more exciting, he felt as though life seemed more monotonous than usual.

In fact, ever since receiving the enhancements, the hallways of HOA HQ seemed duller than back then. Even though this was a medical facility and life wasn't supposed to be so exciting, anyone could tell that there was something off about the atmosphere here. For example, emergency patients in critical condition were supposed to put doctors like Timothy Grey on their toes as though they had just boarded a roller coaster and were about to go down the first drop.

However, these events didn't do anything to their callous attitudes as they breezed through the operations, knowing that they had the Healing Touch underneath their belts. They all felt as though the image of themselves as people and doctors has improved, and yet, something seemed odd about the entire thing.

Timothy Grey, like all the others, wasn't too overly concerned about this however. As long as he was capable of doing his job and performing the Healing Touch in operations, all of these minor details remained trivial.

The doctor stepped into Derek's class. At first, the two of them took note of their new attitudes and appearances, but never told the other. Eventually, these thoughts drifted off and they didn't care anymore.

That would be the correct way to word it.  
Anybody who had undergone the physical enhancement program didn't care anymore.

"Good morning Dr. Sadahiro." Timothy greeted to his professor who was simply wiping down the boards of the work he had written down for the previous class.

"Good morning, Dr. Grey." Derek replied without even turning to his once favourite student. After four months, even Timothy Grey didn't stick out amongst all of the students Derek had to teach every day. They all seemed the same to him now: grey and lifeless, yet eager to learn everything they could from him. Derek's students absorbed his information like sponges and retained it when they got to work out in the field.

There was an odd silence, a silence the two of them have gotten to know fairly well. Though Timothy still managed to arrive earlier than all the other students like before, these days, that silence is spent just being there instead of chatting away with his favourite teacher. Daemon was still his favourite of all the others in the HOA, but these days, it was mainly due to the skill level of said person in comparison to the other people.

"Say, Dr. Sadahiro." Timothy suddenly said. Derek stopped erasing and looked to the other doctor.

"Yes?"

"It has been a long time since we have had a talk like good friends." Timothy replied. "I doubt that you haven't noticed how everything seems so dull these days, correct?"

Derek nodded. "I have noticed, but I barely have the time to dwell on things like that. As long as I am able to save people, then it doesn't matter what is going on outside the OR."

"And that is why I am so concerned." Timothy exclaimed with a brush of anger which he quickly wiped away to avoid showing too much passion. However, in his mind, he felt as though he had just broken free of a chain and it felt good. "Before the ability enhancement program, the both of us would be cheerful and full of life. You would say that if you wanted to live a good life, then you need to laugh." Timothy took a breath and paused, allowing his words to sink in. "...To be honest, I feel as though those days are long gone. Everyone only cares about their work and won't be like normal people anymore. I miss the days where we would be laughing at this moment, Dr. Sadahiro."

Timothy noticed that as he spoke, his head had moved down until he was looking down at his papers instead of directly at his professor. He looked back up and saw the Daemon too was looking away.

"...What is it that you are saying, Dr. Grey?" Derek suddenly stated in a cold tone. It brought the chills his student, causing him to look down once more.

"I'm saying that we're not the same ever since four months ago." Timothy finally replied, spilling out the inner guilt and suspicions that he had kept bottled up inside him. He stood up from his chair and slammed on the table. "The enhancement affected more than our physical and mental abilities. It affected our personage; our individual personalities and qualities that made us unique. We aren't_ living _anymore!" Timothy was huffing as he had managed to rant out all of that in one breath. His chest was visibly going up and down with the rhythm of his breathing. His heart rate was now soaring up as well.

Derek continued to hold his stare towards Timothy. He knew he had a point. However, unlike Timothy, he knew exactly why. The serum was based on GUILT DNA. It was using GUILT's ability to mutate and change organisms it came in contact with. The only difference is that this serum was able to tame this certain aspect and allow it to only benefit human lives and not endanger them. Derek figured that this was just a side effect from the GUILT; it continues to effect personalities as well.

Timothy was also the first person Derek had heard from that really expressed any form of concern of this problem. Everyone else cast it away, while Derek could clearly see that it was bugging this particular doctor. The emotional changes must have been a little too much from him, considering his personality prior to receiving the serum.

There was a pause in speech as the two doctors focused on Timothy's breathing as it went from ragged to calm in a few short seconds.

Suddenly, a slight chuckle rung through the air.  
And that chuckle soon turned into hysterical laughter.

"Wh... What's wrong, Dr. Sadahiro?" Timothy was hesitant to know the answer. He just assumed that his professor went mad.

Derek's laughter soon died down and he locked a stare at Timothy, yellow eyes to chestnut eyes. "...I agree with you, Timothy. You are absolutely right!" He gave him a large and cheerful smile, something Timothy hasn't seen in quite a long time. This action truly caught Timothy off-guard. "We have all been so caught up in our work that we barely have time to enjoy! Everyone here is so dull and lifeless and you're the only one I've heard from who expressed any real concern towards it!"

Derek began pacing back and forth, divulged in his thoughts. Timothy watched him curiously, not daring to try and break his mentor's concentration.

Finally, he spoke.

"What do you say to me treating you and Mira to a nice dinner tomorrow night?" Derek exclaimed happily. This caught Timothy off-guard. He hadn't been expecting to see _this_ side of his mentor so quickly.

"Umm... I'll be alright with it, I guess..." Timothy responded sheepishly. "But I'm not sure about Mira..."

"Then go ask!" Derek replied. "Then come back to me with her response! If both of you can come, then we'll be going to that restaurant in Portland."

"W-wait... all the way in P-Portland...?" Timothy replied nervously. "Isn't that pretty... far?"

"Yeah, we'll be taking a plane, then go the rest of the way in my _car_ that I stationed there previously." Derek replied. "And I happen to know a good friend there."

Derek experienced a flashback, but then quickly shook it off and smiled at the other doctor.

Soon, the bell rang and the other doctors began to pour in. Both doctors sighed and returned to their original positions to begin the lesson. However, while Derek was teaching more on the Powell Method, Timothy couldn't concentrate at all as his thoughts were diverted to the changes that had happened. He couldn't help but feel suspicious of his mentor's actions, even after the peace offering.

Once the class was over, Timothy knew what he would have to do.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Black Saviour

"Wh-what?" Angie screamed angrily. "Y...You CAN'T be serious!" Her fists balled up as she almost spat in Sidney's face when he told her the news. "B-but why? Why would he go THERE?" Tears began to form in the nurse's eyes, causing her to blink them away. Sidney sighed in apology and rested his hand on her shoulder.

The two were right outside the main doors of Caduceus. Sidney had called just Angie down earlier in order to tell her something rather important privately and asked to meet her here. Angie accepted, then met the Chief outside under a rather starry sky tonight. However, as Sidney explained the situation to the blonde nurse, to Angie it seemed as though the stars in the sky became dimmer and dimmer until they were clouded by her fury.

"Angie..." Sidney was at a loss for words. "...When you think about it, it would have been beneficial for the betterment of him and his research. Kenneth had no choice but to join the HOA in order to complete his research." Undoubtedly, elaborating on the situation would do the two no good, but Sidney couldn't think of anything else to do, so he continued. "Your father was limited in the research space he was given in the penitentiary. If he joined the HOA, there would be limitless bounds. In addition, his pay would raise and—"

"I know that already!" Angie shouted vehemently. "B-But why did he just come to Caduceus? Why!" She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to calm down. She then crumpled to the ground, her body shivering as it was a struggle to hold emotions back. "...Wh-why didn't h-he tell me f-first...?" She barely managed to get the sentence out as she continued to breathe shallow ragged breaths.

"You and I know that there is one simple answer to this Angie." Sidney replied as he bent down in order to comfort her. "He loved you more than anything in the world, yet he didn't inform you of the situation before this. The reason is not because he didn't want to or he felt that he didn't need to but because he just plainly wasn't able to."

"But w-why...?"

"...I'm not sure Angie."

Sidney got back up and straightened his tie. He then looked up to the moon in deep thought, giving Angie time to let the tears flow, then calm down. Noticing this, Angie looked up to face the Chief of Caduceus USA. From her perspective, it seemed as though the moon gleamed off his glasses, leaving a foggy sheen over his eyes.

After noticing that the sound of Angie's sobbing had finally calmed, Sidney relinquished his thoughts and pushed any other distractions aside as he helped Angie up and lent her his handkerchief. Angie accepted it with a polite smile and used it to wipe off any more tears from her now reddened eyes. She then handed it back, but Sidney gave her a look that easily read "I don't want it back".

There was an awkward silence after that, but soon, Sidney broke the strange atmosphere.

"So I will be seeing you tomorrow?"

Angie nodded. "Yes sir. But can I ask a favour?"

"Sure."

"Do you think it would be possible if I could make an appointment with the HOA and talk to my father?"

Sidney thought about it for a minute. He knew that this was important, but at the same time, if the task weren't impossible to accomplish, then it would be highly difficult. In the end, he nodded in agreement to the blonde nurse. "I will see what I can do." he said in a soft kind tone. After that, the two parted to head to their respective places for the night.

* * *

Kenneth sighed in utter exhaustion of the task. He had just finished moving into the HOA lab, his new residence for now. He exhaled any remaining breath he had been holding in his lungs in order to help him carry that last box full of his research.

He then looked behind him where his lab partners were. He recognised them as a few of the world's most renowned professors in GUILT prevention research. One of them was a particular person that Kenneth had just asked for a bit of help about a month ago.

The GUILT professor then turned to his desk. He was almost finished organising everything. All that was left were the contents of the box he had just lugged in himself. Normally, he would have probably had movers move it in or at least bring a little trolley so he wouldn't have to carry everything by hand, but the contents of the box was the heart of his entire research on GUILT and he won't take any risks.

He cut the tape and opened the box. Afterwards, he took out one of his most prized possessions. This was what had drove him to continue doing what he did, both back in Delphi and why he was here right now in HOA.

It was a picture of his daughter and wife, smiling together right outside their prior home.

The thoughts of the old days made Kenneth smile.

He set the frame properly on the corner of his long grey desk. Without that picture there, everything to Kenneth would be grey and lifeless. Thoughts and feelings of his daughter were the only things maintaining his drive to continue researching GUILT other than that he needs to atone for his sins.

It's a shame he couldn't tell Angie about his reasons for coming here. This was all supposed to be like a secret mission in a way. He was sent here in order to investigate the HOA a little further because Caduceus has been having suspicions about their actions lately.

Ever since Kenneth had fully recovered, it turns out that the HOA has been making quite a name for themselves. They have gotten more considerably famous and their success has been becoming more and more detrimental to the work done in Caduceus.

He knew that at first, Caduceus didn't really mind, but ever since that surprise show-and-tell operation that Daemon himself had performed back in Caduceus (Kenneth had heard the entire story from his daughter and Sidney), word had gotten out of the skill level of the doctor, along with what caused him to be so good, and more and more people had decided to join. Next thing he knew, there was another incident and the police didn't even bother calling in Caduceus this time around. Apparently, Delphi struck at Acropolis and the HOA had been sent as medical back-up.

And from there, Caduceus' luck had been going all but downhill. The government refused to pay too much funding and moved most of it to the HOA for development and research. HOA was the head of GUILT research now, draining more of Caduceus's authority.

And so this is all what basically led Caduceus from making such a rash decision. They had spoken to Kenneth a couple of weeks ago about the situation as soon as he got better. They then told him their suspicions and gave Kenneth the job of investigating more into the HOA. The only catch was that to do this, they needed an inside man, and so Kenneth was forced to apply for a job that he knew he would be accepted into so easily considering his connections. He also wasn't allowed to tell anyone of his true intentions for being here; including Angie.

Kenneth sighed and slumped onto the chair right beside the desk. Not being able to explain the situation to Angie was the hardest part for him. It pained him to think about how crushed and betrayed his daughter must have been as soon as Sidney told her the news.

"I guess this is what James Bond must feel like every time he leaves his girl to go chase the bad guy..." Kenneth chuckled softly under his breath. "...Though it's great on the big screen, in real life, the feeling is just terrible."

Suddenly, a woman he had never seen before entered the room. Apparently, it was the secretary.

"Um.. Dr. Blackwell?" She was unsure of how the person looked, so she addressed the name to the entire group in the large laboratory until finally, her eyes landed on the professor slumped on his chair.

"...That's me." Kenneth replied, locking gazes with the woman. He gave her a polite smile and she nodded back in return. "What do you need?"

"I have a message for you, sir." She took out a small note she had made earlier in case she had forgotten the message as soon as she got here. Turns out she needed it after all. "...You have a visitor scheduled to meet you in a couple of weeks." The woman turned to leave when Kenneth quickly got up and stopped her.

"Wait. Who is coming?"

"Someone by the name of Angie Thompson." the woman replied with a tinge of jealousy, though Kenneth didn't pick it up. "She is probably a beautiful woman. Her name can tell me this. "

"Ah, thank you ma'am." Kenneth replied with a smile. "She's the love of my life. I wouldn't be here without her."

"Then I guess she is a very lucky person to have someone like you." The secretary forced a smile, even though underneath that mask, she was green with envy. "Good day to you then."

Kenneth nodded and went back to work unpacking the remainder of the contents in the final box. She stepped out, muttering Angie's name in disgust, wishing that she were Kenneth's girlfriend instead of the Thompson girl.

* * *

"Ah... Angie."

Kenneth stood awkwardly in front of his daughter right in the waiting room. He knew that it was vital the true intentions here remained hidden from even Angie, so it pained him to see her like this.

Angie on the other hand was looking down. She was unsure of how she was to react to any of this.

"Father..." The word just barely escaped her tongue. She continued to look down, unsure as to how to proceed with this. It has been a long time since she had been feeling quite flustered when speaking to her dad, though it was quite obvious that these feeling were going to occur, considering the situation.

"It may have been better if we hadn't met like this." Kenneth solemnly sighed. He had spoken the words right out of Angie's mouth.

Angie finally built up the courage and look at up at her father. She decided that it would be best to start with casual talk before jumping into the real topic of discussion at hand. "...How are you feeling?" Angie stated softly. She looked at his build and realized that he was doing just fine, but she wanted to see if the "patient" had anything else to add.

"Actually, my prognosis is looking great." Kenneth replied, returning a smile to Angie. "You have to tell Adel that I say thanks. I expected no less from Derek's pupil."

"Don't worry... I'll tell him as soon as I see him..." And once again, the two managed to lose yet another topic. An awkward silence filled the room, allowing the two a bit of time to think about what to say.

Suddenly, something important came to mind.

"You know Adel has the Healing Touch, right? That was how he was able to save you."

Kenneth nodded. "Yes, I am aware of your friend's special ability." The man thought a bit about the report Victor had given to him all about the status of the operation. "Was he able to use it again?"

"How did you know?" Angie exclaimed.

"Victor gave me a report right after my operation." Kenneth explained. "It held all the details, including Dr. Tulba's status. He isn't able to perform the Healing Touch any more, correct."

Angie nodded with a bit of sorrow. It was a shame, really. One night, she had noticed Adel trying to practise his Healing Touch through an operation simulation like Derek did before. However, as Angie watched, she noticed that the power wasn't coming back. That must have been a one-time thing for Adel and the two of them became rather disappointed in themselves after that night.

The two then took a seat on the seats by the coffee table. Kenneth clasped his hands, ready to get serious about the situation while Angie simply watched him carefully.

"I'm guessing that you didn't exactly come here to ask me about my prognosis." Kenneth declared in a quiet, but strict tone. "You came because you wanted answers. You wanted to know why I joined the HOA."

"...Why?" Angie followed in a sorrowful tone. She had been anticipating for this topic to bubble up. "You are correct, Father, so please answer me. Why did you join the Hands of Asclepius? Was it all a big lie when you told me you wanted to atone for your sins?"

Angie never realized that she was suddenly standing up after that rather loud outburst. She then forced herself to calm down and take a seat once more on that chair. Kenneth could only look away and not say anything. He, on the other hand, had to pick his words carefully.

"I... can't blame you for thinking that way..." Kenneth finally said. He thought for a minute, revising his reason in his head, and then finally looking at Angie straight in the eye. "...There was a limit on the amount of research I could accomplish in prison. Though I was treated rather well despite my crimes, I grew more and more frustrated with those limitations in place."

"Then why didn't you just come to Caduceus?" Angie exclaimed angrily. Her eyes were like sharp daggers as they pierced through her father's skull. Kenneth avoided his daughter's angry glare and continued his lie.

"The HOA has many things that Caduceus could never achieve." Kenneth simply stated. "...And I was asked to participate in the Ability Enhancement Program..."

...

A few moments later, Kenneth had managed to make Angie cry after the long argument they had. He had then left her to return to the sanctuary of his office. He couldn't bear to be in the presence of his daughter without causing more shame to his name.

In a blurry of thoughts, he ended up running into President Mercer himself who had just come from the waiting room where Angie was. The two the crashed right into each other, fell to the ground, and then shook the pain off.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir." Kenneth exclaimed apologetically as he helped his "boss" up. Mercer dusted himself off and took a good look at the person he had just crashed into.

"_It's Kenneth Blackwell..."_ Mercer thought to himself. Fortunately for him, his reaction wasn't something along the lines of "You're** FIRED!**" or he would have just lost one of his best men. _"That would explain why Angie Thompson is currently in the waiting room crying..."_ Mercer smirked to himself, shame filling up his insides immediately afterwards. _"We're both bad fathers..."_

"Thank you." Mercer replied to the professor. Normally, he would have made his way to his destination, but he wasn't in too much of a hurry and this person was none other than the person who had worked with Delphi and was now dedicated to atoning his sins through GUILT prevention research. He was quite a remarkable man, considering what he had gone through. "Say, how is your research coming along?" he asked. "I hope our facilities and resources are bringing fruit to new discoveries...?"

"Oh yes." Kenneth replied. He took Mercer's act of casual kindness by surprise, considering that he had just run into him. "The research space is very beneficial. I believe that new developments are to be made right around the corner. That necrosis serum to defeat GUILT; we need to make a few minor tweaks and then it will be complete. As soon as I have learned something useful, I will bring it to your attention immediately." Kenneth gave him a quick nod and Mercer returned it with a smile.

"Thank you, Professor Blackwell. Your help in the war against GUILT is greatly appreciated. You are one of our greatest assets and I'm glad you are on the team." And at that, the two exchanged a friendly handshake, and then parted towards their respective destinations.

"_I need to keep him away from Daemon..."_ Mercer sighed to himself as soon as the realization dawned upon him. _"...He's not just here to research. There is no way he would intentionally make his daughter cry and his firm connections to Caduceus are suspicious..." _

Just more work to do.

* * *

"A table for three, please."

Derek, Timothy, and Mira were in the Visage, a rather fancy restaurant that sat on the coast of Portland. A friend of Derek's had introduced the restaurant to him a while back when there was a medical convention located here. By day, it was actually a cheap breakfast diner, but by evening, it somehow became this elegant area where reservations were almost impossible to get, hence the name "_Visage_", which means "_image_".

All three of them were in formal clothes, the men in black tuxedos (Derek was wearing the same one he wore to his funeral along with his disguise without the moustache which he managed to persuade Mercer was unneeded. Timothy was in a tuxedo that he had been wanting for a while, but was finally able to afford due to his new paycheque) while Mira was in a beautiful fitting cerulean dress with a few sparkles. Most of it was silk and other delicate products, but seeing that this was a special occasion, Mira was quite content with wearing it for tonight. A pale blue wrap covered her shoulders and allowed the diamond earrings dangling down her ears like chandeliers to stand out.

"Mira, did I already tell you how beautiful you look in that dress?" Timothy gave her such a big grin, causing Mira to both sigh of annoyance and giggle with glee.

"Yes, Dr. Grey. This is the fifth time you've told me. And once again, thank you."

Timothy simply blushed and rubbed his head in embarrassment. Derek sighed, but then placed a smile on.

"This way, please." Someone led them to their table. The three then took a seat and casually browsed through the menus, wondering what they would want to order.

After browsing quickly at the menu, Timothy looked up towards his mentor who was still deciding what he wanted to have for this evening. _"How could he afford such luxury and be calm about it too?" _Timothy wondered to himself. _"The prices here are just ridiculous!"_

"Is something wrong, Timothy?"

Derek looked at the other surgeon quizzically, which caused Timothy to snap out of his train of thought.

"Oh yes, Dr. Sadahiro." Timothy replied with concern coating his voice. "These prices... are you sure you're going to pay for it all? You even took us on a jet to come here for dinner. I mean, I can help out..."

"Yes, I'm pretty sure that I want to take the bill, Dr. Grey." Derek replied with a voice that lacked emotion. His apathetic face came back. "You see, I live in enough luxury as it is these days. It's not much for me to treat friends out for dinner; even in a place like this."

"I see..." Timothy didn't bother arguing with him anymore. It would just lead to nowhere.

"Are you ready to order?"

Derek decided to go first. "Yes. I would like the clam chowder to start, then for the main course, I want—"

Out of nowhere, there was a loud crash and shrill screaming.

"Oh my gosh, someone help!"  
"That man just collapsed!"  
"Is there a doctor? You have to save him!"

There was a huge commotion over the wine rack and everyone in the room began to stand up and move towards the scene of the crime. Even the waiter abandoned Derek, Timothy, and Mira in order to see the catastrophe.

"Lesson number one, Dr. Grey." Derek suddenly stated to the surgeon who was now standing up in an attempt to get a look at what happened. "Doctors are always on duty." His voice sounded as though this was no surprise to him anymore.

Timothy looked back at his mentor with a bewildered look on his face. "What are you saying?" he asked.

"You are going to save him." Derek simply replied.

Without even hesitating, Timothy nodded in return, accepting the challenge. "Alright Mira, it looks like we have to operate."

Mira looked down with a depressed look. She was hoping for a peaceful night, but it looks like that was never to happen. "Sure Dr. Grey."

Derek suddenly whispered something to Mira and handed her something. Mira agreed to whatever he said and she grabbed Timothy out the door. As soon as they returned five minutes later, they were in their scrubs while carrying a mobile operation kit that Derek happened to bring along with him in his car. He had gotten used to the emergency scenarios in his personal life that called on his doctor side, so he made sure to keep an on-the-go medical kit wherever he went.

"Stand aside, everybody!" Timothy shouted to the crowd. "We're doctors!" Immediately seeing how they were dressed, everyone moved back to allow a path to form for Timothy and Mira. As soon as they got to the patient, Derek too made his way to their side.

"Alright, how are his vitals, Mira?"

"He's stable." Mira replied. "I'm not sure why he collapsed though..."

Suddenly, the wine shelves began to wobble and tip towards them. It turns out that one of its supports was knocked down by the crowd, causing it to become unstable. Everyone began to scream in fear of the four people directly in the path of the heavy shelves of wood and wine.

"Step back!" Derek screamed. He pushed Mira and Timothy to the side, watching them slide on the floor due to the brute force of the push. But this also meant leaving him and the patient still in the way of the wine cellar. He then glanced up at how little time he had left to escape, and sighed in defeat.

He was going to feel this in the morning.

* * *

"Dr. Sadahiro!" Timothy yelled out at the doctor right after the two of them had been pushed aside. As soon as he had shouted, the wine shelf finally began to fall on top of Daemon and the patient. And even still, it seemed as though his mentor was trying to lift the patient up. They could only watch as the rack fell. To Timothy and Mira, it seemed as though everything was in slow motion. Derek barely moved as the instrument of death quickly toppled forward onto them like a guillotine.

And about as abrupt as the incident came around, it ended with a final crash as glass and precious wine sprayed everywhere. Everyone looked away and winced, knowing that the two people couldn't have survived that.

"DR. SADAHIRO!" Timothy found himself screaming. He bent down to start trying to lift the wine shelf, but was unable to, despite the adrenaline now rushing through him. He then was pulled up by Mira who simply shook her head.

"Timothy..." Her face read solemn mourning and fear.

"No, it can't be true... Dr. Sadahiro!" Timothy screamed at the pile desperately. Tears flowed freely from his eyes. This was the most emotional he had ever gotten in the four months of dullness. "You've gotta be able to hear me! Say something!"

"...Yes?"

The voice was so nostalgic and calm that it took Timothy by surprise. "You're still alive?" Timothy yelled at the pile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Dr. Grey, and of course I'm alive." Derek chuckled. "Look up."

Timothy did as he was told and noticed that right across from him was none other than Daemon Sadahiro, carrying the patient in his arms. There were some wine stains in his clothing, but otherwise, it was clear that the two were unhurt by the incident.

Derek took a finger and ran it down his shirt. He then sipped it and sighed. "It's a shame we were unable to enjoy this wine this evening. It's a Montclair '86... Quite delectable. It also happens to be the same wine I had the last time I was here."

While everyone else was cheering of relief that the two were still somehow alive, Timothy was in a loss for words. "B-but how...?" he whispered. "Th-there's n-no way y-you could have s-survived..."

"Lesson number two of the night." Derek replied right after hearing what Timothy had murmured. "If you gain full control of the Healing Touch, you can use it whenever and wherever you are."

"Oh!" Timothy exclaimed, but softly so it could only be heard between the two of them. "That makes sense! You just used your Healing Touch to slow down time and get out of the way that fast..." Knowing this, he helped the patient off Derek and carried him gently. He knew, in comparison of how Timothy felt after using his Healing Touch, that Daemon was probably tired. However, looking at his composure, Timothy wasn't so sure that this was the case with his mentor.

Suddenly a young woman came up to Timothy (who was struggling a bit with the weight of the man). "Please sir... you have to save him!" the woman exclaimed. "We were just in the middle of our date and I think he was going to..." She then suddenly burst into tears. "He complained of stomach pains and had to go to the bathroom frequently..."

"You know him?" Timothy asked quizzically.

"Yes. He's my boyfriend." the woman replied. "But then he gave me this..." She showed them the beautiful diamond ring. "... and I don't think he wants us to be girlfriend and boyfriend anymore."

Derek gave a soft smile. He recognised the woman. "Don't worry ma'am. We'll save him." He then glared at Timothy. "We have to go, now, Dr. Grey! Get moving!"

"Right!" Timothy replied. "Where is the most sanitary and private place in this restaurant?" Timothy asked to the head waiter of the restaurant. The man signalled towards the kitchen and the three HOA employees headed there to perform the operation. They forced all the employees to exit and locked the door behind them. Mira quickly sanitized the metal table which usually had spices and such all over it, but had been recently washed anyways.

"I'll be honest... this is the first time I've heard of an operation being performed in a kitchen." Derek smirked as he watched the two analyze the patient, and then put him to sleep via anaesthesia. They then quickly intubated him and began the briefing.

"The patient appears to be a man in his twenties, but unfortunately, I was unable to recover an ID." Mira declared.

"His name is Gabriel Cunningham." Derek suddenly stated. The other two turned to the surgeon in confusion.

"You know him?" Mira gave him an intrigued look.

"Yes." Derek replied. "We met the last time I was here at a medical convention, but that has nothing to do with the situation at hand. Mira, continue the briefing!"

"Yes! Anyways, the man apparently collapsed out of nowhere and we have yet to determine the cause due to lack of medical instruments. After all the events that had occurred, my guess is that his once stable condition has plummeted due to the wasted time and now he is in a critical state. We need to operate immediately!" Mira quickly browed the charts she made while they were setting up. "We have already cross-matched his blood and the transfusion is complete. However, it's not enough, so we need to get him to a real hospital. For now, we will need to remove debris and determine the cause of his fainting inside."

Timothy nodded in agreement. He then pulled down his glove and let it snap up dramatically. "Whoever you are, I will allow you a loving life with your fiancé!" Timothy declared to get everyone into the flare of the event.

"First we should fix up his exterior injuries, and then move into the inside." Mira stated. Timothy promptly received the forceps from the nurse in order to carefully remove glass shards protruding from his skin. He never even missed as he quickly placed each piece onto the tray. He then fixed up the large lacerations with the sutures, using the cross-stitch method. After repairing other smaller cuts with the antibiotic gel, he disinfected the incision area with the scalpel.

"It was stomach problems, correct?" Timothy asked in order to clarify the situation.

"Yes."

Timothy then made the incision.

"Ah, so that's what was causing it." Timothy sighed. There were inflammations around the stomach area. "He has some tumours."

"I'll prepare the inflammatory!" Mira declared. She then ran to Derek's on-the-go medical bag and found the blue serum. While she was doing this, Timothy managed to excise one tumour on his own. He then grabbed a syringe and injected the inflammatory on all the inflammations he could find. The drain came next as he sucked up some pus over the stomach.

Suddenly, the stomach began to haemorrhage more frequently, but Timothy ignored it as he moved to excise the last five tumours in the man's stomach. After putting down the ultrasound however, Timothy found that the scalpel had broken.

"...That was a souvenir too..." Derek sighed. "I'll try and fix it. Just cope until I return." Derek then ran around the kitchen for a small knife to replace the blade of the scalpel. Timothy couldn't do anything but drain the haemorrhages. He knew that this was all futile because the only way it could all stop was if he excised the tumours.

Soon, Derek returned with the new make-shift scalpel. "Alright, use this." he said. Timothy nodded, and then finally activated his unique brand of Healing Touch.

Like Derek's, his Healing Touch slowed down time, but the catch was that it wasn't by much. Fortunately, this was compromised by Timothy's ability to block out all distractions. In Timothy's mind, the world will have gone all black, dragging all his attention to the patient and the problem areas. In real life, it only took Timothy a few short minutes to stabilize Gabriel's situation and close him up.

"Great job, Dr. Grey." Derek congratulated the doctor as Timothy washed up. Timothy smiled in return. He felt rather accomplished with the success. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a burning feeling invaded his chest. He began to cough, but did his best to hide it from Dr. Sadahiro.

"Excuse me, Mira, Dr. Sadahiro." Timothy stuttered out as he sprinted out of the kitchen's back door and into the open fresh air of the back alley. He then pulled out a medication he had been taking ever since these symptoms had been appearing. It had started a month since his receiving of the Healing Touch. He went to the doctor and had been prescribed these pills. At first, the medications worked wonders, but these days, it only lessened the pain for a while until the symptoms subsided. He dry-swallowed the pills, sighed, and then returned back into the kitchen to help clean up the equipment.

"Are you alright, Dr. Grey?" Mira asked with genuine concern all over her face. She had seen a bit of blood escape the doctor's mouth while he was coughing.

"Yes. Thanks for being so concerned about me." Timothy smiled. The two then allowed each other to embrace the other. The warm feeling of the contact allowed all of Timothy's pain to flow away. He rested his head on the Asian's shoulder and gave her a light peck on her cheek. Mira could only blush.

"I called the hospital close by."

Timothy and Mira moved apart and looked at Derek who seemed as though he wasn't too troubled about breaking up such romance. His apathetic mood was back as he cleaned up any remaining blood off his equipment before throwing the last of it back in the bag.

"They'll be coming to pick up Mr. Cunningham soon." Derek continued. "In the meantime, someone should go inform future Ms. Cunningham of the news."

"I'll do that." Mira replied. She then stepped out of the kitchen, leaving the two surgeons alone in the kitchen.

"Dr. Sadahiro..."

"—Don't speak. Just help me clean up here."

The two then remained in a powerful silence that coated the atmosphere of the kitchen. The kitchen is rarely like this on normal days for the Visage considering rush hour and dinner time for the restaurant. The employees are always shouting in here, demanding for this, shouting orders out like that. To be working in silence was new for the kitchen.

However, Derek's mood for the situation was warranted in his situation. Though Timothy didn't know the story and Derek wasn't so sure himself, Derek watching the surgeon's love for the nurse and vice versa seemed to bring up feelings of longing, nostalgia, and envy. The only thing the surgeon could do was simply break the couple up in order to stop having to see such acts, thus casting the feelings away.

Soon, the EMT from Resurgam arrived. The first who came with the stretcher was a young girl with short chestnut hair and African American background in ripped short shorts and a black t-shirt graced with the trademark yellow and green jacket of Resurgam's EMT Team. Once again, Derek seemed to remember her.

"Damn... Gabe... what the hell did you get yourself into this time?" the woman exclaimed angrily. "When we heard the news, we didn't believe it... but seeing this..." She then began to chuckle to herself. "You are SO going to get it when you wake up! A secret romance... ha! Then you collapse right when you were going to propose to her... how_ romantic_..." She got Derek to help her get Gabriel's body onto the stretcher while getting him to explain what had occurred in this kitchen. Soon, others from the EMT arrived and carried Derek's friend out. Derek and Timothy knew that their job here was done and met up with Mira in the car.

And then a silent drive back to HOA HQ followed so they could pick up their things before heading back to their respective homes.

And in the end of all that, they realized that they still hadn't eaten dinner.

* * *

"...And that's what happened sir." Derek finally let out a deep sigh after explaining every single detail he could conceivably think of.

"...And are you sure that you weren't the one who performed the surgery?"

"Yes sir."

Mercer nodded, allowing the story to digest before finally accepting that this just had to be the truth. He was told by a reliable source, after all. "Very well, Dr. Sadahiro; you may go now." He then watched as the doctor got up off the chair right in front of his desk, and then moved to door before suddenly stopping.

"President Mercer...?" Derek asked with a bit of hesitation.

"...Yes?"

"When will you need me to..."

"Soon." Mercer replied quickly. He knew where Derek was going with this question. "I will call you down as soon as everything is ready."

Derek smiled in understanding. "Alright." And with that he stepped out the door and quickly went down the stairs, too lazy to wait for the elevator to come.

Mercer simply sighed and chuckled lightly, glad that his plan's completion was right around the corner. He allowed a sick smile to leak onto his face, thinking of what a great pet _he_ made.

"_It's only a matter of time..."_

...

Because he had gone the other direction, Derek never noticed that there was someone watching and eavesdropping on the conversation that had just taken place. This man had done this a few times previously, but only recently had he found a true meaning to his eavesdropping.

This wasn't the first time that he had heard the mention of whatever Daemon had to do for Mercer, but in all of the meetings he had eavesdropped on, somehow, the true nature of this favour had never come up. Either that or, like in this meaning, Mercer had managed to realize where Derek was going with this and answer him with the same response as usual.

He also noticed how edgy Mercer became when Daemon operated. For some reason, he didn't want anyone to know of Daemon's operating ability. In the man's opinion, there seemed to be something more about this. Lately, he had been hearing rumours of times where Daemon did all the work, but other doctors were given the credit, leaving Daemon's name in the shadows. Why this was needed, he wasn't so sure, but it drove him to continue what he was doing; investigating one Daemon Sadahiro.

He soon got up in defeat and went down the elevator to the first floor. As soon as he arrived, no one even bothered to glance as he stepped out of the cabin and blended in with everyone. He wasn't a stranger to the facilities and everyone familiar with the HOA basically knew him already. He then walked out, greeted the secretary working in the front, and made his way over to the break room, leaving behind his investigation for another day.

* * *

A/N: I have decided to cut it off here. Unfortunately, I kind of messed up on the outline/pre-planning stage for this chapter, resulting in a lot of unneeded hassle. Therefore, I was forced to divide the content of said chapter into two and a half parts: half of a part in the previous chapter, this chapter, and the remainder in Chapter 8 which should be coming shortly considering its origin.

So yes, another poorly written chapter in my opinion... not much went down other than the introduction of a mysterious man and his ongoing investigation, the dinner incident, and Kenneth taking his place amongst the HOA's staff (I'm not kidding when I say this, but considering the pace of the story, these "questions" should be answered a ton quicker than most were expecting...)

I agree. The beginning was off... I needed Derek to be stricter to show off his new attitude, but I needed him to be friendly as well so the dinner thing worked out... the flow FAIILED. What basically happened was that as soon as Dr. Grey showed concern, Derek tried his best to revert to his original attitude, but it all fails when something triggers a feeling from the time period he had forgotten, causing the GUILT in him to take effect and the monotonous attitude surfaces up once more.

And yeah, Timothy's Healing Touch is the equivalent to Dr. Leonardo Bello from New Blood (I kinda like him... why does everyone have to hate on him? =3) Yeah, Leo can slow down time, but not as well as Derek. According to him, it's more of a distraction blocker =)

It's a shame I have to explain it here...  
Alright, see you guys next chapter!

And thank you for all of the reviews! When I read them all, a tear of joy was brought to my eyes that you guys are enjoying it, so thanks again! I greatly appreciate it! =) The motivation is back!

**Derek**: So... I have a stalker?  
**Me**: Yeah pretty much.  
**Derek**: ... Should I be in any way concerned about this?  
**Me**: ...Nah. It's not like he can touch you.  
**Mystery Guy**: What do you mean?  
**Derek**: Wait! I know you!  
**Mystery Guy**: AHH! *runs away*  
**Derek**: GET BACK HERE!  
**Me**: *sigh*


	8. At the Hands of Delphi

**Disclaimer**: C'mon, this becomes more and more tedious with each time I put this... is it really necessary to keep reminding you guys that I don't own anything familiar here? Trauma Center and anything related belongs to Atlus.

A/N: I mentioned something around the terms "I promise Chapter 8 will come quickly considering its origin". Well, here it -*shot*! It's going to be relatively short (in my opinion) considering what it covers and how I put it, but otherwise, I'm proud of myself. Kix is back writing up Chapter 9 as I proofread it once again... wow, I just realized how fast we're moving along. Chapter 13 is like the epilogue... hehe, can't wait till then.

Speaking of which, I'm trying my best to stick with the original plot, but at the same time, I'm also trying to vary it up. You may notice some misconceptions or contradictions in the upcoming chapter or so (like right in the beginning, which is there on purpose), but though I want to stick to the TC:UTK2 storyline, at the same time, I don't want it to be identical for both your and my sanity.

Yes, Derek got bored of surgeries! XD  
And so did I... I kinda of either fast-forwarded or completely skipped a few major surgeries that take place normally... I got lazy. ;D

Alright, I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
Don't you be captured by Delphi too! =)  
And if I called Adel a girl, I swear I am SO SORRY!

* * *

"...Where am I?"

Angie opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar place. She had never been here before. She was lying flat on the ground for some reason.

"...Is this just a dream?" she asked herself. She looked around at the scenery. Everything was completely black. This just couldn't be real.

She then sat up on the ground and huddled. On the bright side, she was capable of moving in accordance to her will, which is one good thing in this odd scenario. On the down side, it was rather cold where she was and she was only in a thin blue blouse; the same one she used to go to work. She exhaled out and watched as the wispy grey water vapour escaped from her mouth and blended in with her surroundings. Her body then involuntarily began to shiver in an attempt to keep her body temperature up.

Angie sighed. She wanted to get up and do something, but she lacked the energy, so she remained sitting down. _"I should probably try to remember what happened last."_ she thought to herself. She then closed her eyes and focused.

Only blurry images came to mind.

She and another were locked in a dark, uncomfortable, cramped space. They were doing something with great urgency in the dark... operating?

She was then in a large room filled with magnificent lighting. It looked almost elegant, but the atmosphere provided fear.

A sharp pain was then recalled.

And then she was here.

"...What happened?" she said to herself. She said it quietly and privately as though she were nervous that someone might overhear her, even though she was pretty confident in the fact that she was all alone in this cold dark place full of dismay. Angie tried her best to piece together the events from what she remembered, but unfortunately for her, it came with no prevail.

Soon, Angie gave up. She slumped to the ground, unsure what to do. Almost immediately, she felt a slight rumbling in the ground. Angie moved her palms so they were flat to feel around and found that the rumbling was getting stronger and stronger.

Next thing she knew, a giant version of a demonic-looking strand of GUILT burst from the ground as though the ground were simply water. Angie could only watch as the strain which resembled a combination of purple and black Tetarti opened its mouth and swallowed her.

...

Next thing she knew, she found herself floating in what almost seemed like a medical trailer. The colours were warped, but otherwise were completely monotonous. Angie noticed that this time, she wasn't alone. However, she found that the other two people with her was a surgeon and herself, flat and opened up on an operating table.

"Am I dead?" Angie gasped. "Or is this like those out-of-body experiences people claim they have? What kind of dream is this?" She decided to test out her abilities by floating around, but it was quite hard to do because cartoons make it look easy.

She then found herself right in front of the surgeon who was operating on her. When she saw his face however, a wash of relief overcame her.

She didn't care if this was a dream or not.  
Even if it was, she was glad that it was still Derek saving her.

She looked closely at his face and it was the same Derek, but she couldn't pin down what looked different about him. She moved closer, but Fate didn't allow that because then she was once again engulfed in darkness, this time accompanied by a feeling of being sucked down a drain.

And finally, she found herself teary-eyed and fully conscious in the arms of a worried Adel.

* * *

Chapter Eight: At the Hands of Delphi

_Takes place one month after the dinner incident..._

"Angie! Adel!" Sidney exclaimed erectly as he found the two walking down a hallway. The duo turned simultaneously and stared as the Chief ran towards them.

"Yes, Chief Kasal?" Angie replied.

"The both of you have been requested by the Chief of Police to help out in the flush-out of a Delphi hideout." Sidney explained. "To be honest, the Police simply asked for two ordinary doctors, but I believe that Adel deserves the field experience and he has become quite talented as a surgeon as of late, so I volunteered you two."

Adel immediately realized that Sidney was referring to his Healing Touch when talking about his "talent". After coming to that realization, Adel moved to inform him of his loss of that ability, but Sidney immediately silenced him. "I know what I'm doing, Dr. Tulba." Sidney replied. "I am aware of the loss of your ability, as is Angie..." At this, Adel turned to Angie, who had guilt written all over her face. It seems like keeping the loss of his Healing Touch as a secret failed miserably if even his boss knew. "I still stand firm with my decision, however, so please get ready as soon as you can."

"Yes sir!" Adel replied sharply. Angie and he then proceeded to get the on-the-go medical kit ready just before they headed out on a medical carrier to where they needed to be.

* * *

"Ah, it's great that you made it." The Chief of Police exclaimed as he glanced over at Adel and Angie. He had been rather busy and stressed to the limits with the Delphi hideout raid, but seeing the doctors he had requested calmed him down a bit. It was a joy to have one less thing to worry about.

He then proceeded to explain the plan the SWAT team, in collaboration with the Police, had made. "...And so we'll be bringing injured personnel over to you." he finally finished.

"Alright, thank you sir for this opportunity." Angie replied. There was a slight pause before she spoke once more. "...Speaking of which, why is it that you chose us instead of the Hands of Asclepius?" At this question, the Chief of Police became uneasy. He remained silent, giving time for Adel to fully digest what Angie had honestly just accidentally blurted out on instinct.

"She has a point!" Adel exclaimed, backing up Angie's claim. "The HOA have honestly managed to develop a much better reputation than those at Caduceus, especially after that GUILT necrosis serum was created and released as of late. They also have a larger group of highly skilled doctors in comparison to our understaffed crew. And yet you choose us; why?"

The Chief of Police took his time with clearing his throat before finally looking at the two medical personnel seriously. "To be honest with you, I was told to ask the HOA, but I'm familiar with your work, Dr. Tulba." Adel looked at the man quizzically, but allowed him to continue. "You actually operated on my best friend a couple of months back. Apparently, I was told that he had Deftera in the past and was then suffering from PGS. For saving him, I am grateful and I acknowledge your skills from there."

Adel flashed back to his first PGS operation. "So he was your friend?" Adel murmured thoughtfully. "Well, it was no problem, sir. As a doctor, I will do my best to save anyone... but to be honest, I am grateful to your friend as well... that was the first time I had dealt with PGS myself and for the experience and success, I am glad." Out of respect, Adel extended his hand and the Chief of Police shook it. "Thank you for choosing us then. It's an honour."

"Very well." The Chief of Police declared. "You two need to get back to your stations. The battle is about to begin." And at that, Adel and Angie immediately ran back to the operating trailer, prepping and sterilizing it, getting ready for any injured and praying that in the end, they weren't needed after all.

...

The gunfire, screaming, and wailing seemed as though they droned on for hours. A few people were brought to Adel and Angie, but fortunately for all of them, they only suffered from minor wounds; the worst was a gunshot to the leg which ended up shattering the femur on impact. As soon as they sent out the last patient to be sent to the nearest hospital to rest there, Adel and Angie heard and almost felt an explosion that was much larger than the rest.

They had a walkie-talkie that informed them of the situation going on outside the medical van. They heard screaming to retreat after someone, the Delphi enemy, threw a rather large gas grenade at the SWAT team. There was a lot more gunfire and screaming and Adel and Angie could only cringe at the thought of what was going on out there. However, they were only a medical team and, though very vital to the team, were also very vulnerable in comparison to the others.

"I can't believe that a war is taking place amongst houses filled with innocent lives..." Angie sighed, directing the statement to Adel who was sitting on the chair beside her own. "I'm sorry for the poor people who live around here. This is a disaster; the war against GUILT can be devastating. I hope no innocent pedestrians get hurt."

"I agree, Angie." Adel replied softly, in his mind remembering what it was like back in Costigar as he grew up. It was not a pleasant childhood; having to live in a war against his tribe and the next. Gunfire right in front of his home wasn't unheard of and his family even took a large impact to the war; his father was caught in the cross-fire.

Suddenly, there was a large hit to the outer wall of the medical van. It wasn't a gunshot but rather someone banging something hard violently against the metal wall of the van. Angie and Adel's eyes made their way to the opening of the van where stood a strange-looking man in what Angie recognised as the black and orange Delphi uniform. He had a pistol in his hand and was accompanied by two others who looked almost exactly like him. However, one of them seemed to be injured and was being held up by one of the others.

The one with the gun sneered at the sight of the two doctors in the medical trailer. _"Perfect hostages_..." he chuckled as he noticed the Caduceus crests on their chest.

Angie got up and frowned. "Who are you?" she shouted at them. Suddenly, the one with the gun got up the trailer, grabbed Angie tightly and held the gun to her head. Angie struggled to let go and resorted to biting the assailant's arm. The Delphi clone only flinched, but immediately shook it off and angrily pushed the gun against her head harder.

"Angie!" Adel exclaimed. He got up to try and help her, but then the assailant pointed the gun at Adel, holding onto Angie even tighter.

"...Don't move." he simply stated. Adel stopped moving and flinched at the sight of the gun. Only one other time had he found himself at gunpoint and that day scarred him. The Delphi clone put the gun back against Angie's head. "Make one sound and I'll kill her." Adel nodded silently and backed off.

"Wh-what do you want..?" Adel managed to stutter out, his voice one octave higher and a lot quieter.

The man with the gun didn't answer. Instead, he jumped off the trailer with Angie still with him. "Move toward me. Slowly. Don't even think about alerting the others." Adel did as he was told, stepping off silently and with a hint of precaution down the stairs till he was right in front of Angie and the man holding the gun. He looked to the corner of his eye where others were running around in search of the assailants who escaped, blissfully unaware that three of them were right there.

The man with the gun then signalled for the other, telling him to unhook the trailer and to get into the van attached. He did as he was told, throwing the injured clone in the back seat while hotwiring the vehicle to get it to start. The assailant then forced Adel and Angie into the backseat, locked the van, and drove off.

* * *

After performing a surgery in the backseat of the van with no prevail of anyone trying to find them again, they finally arrived at the main Delphi hideout in the mountains. Angie and Adel gazed anxiously at the brilliant mansion; its beauty hidden by the peaks of Angeles Bay.

"Angie, are you alright?" Adel whispered when he was sure that he was out of hearing range of the Delphi personnel, though this was but a sure estimate. The two of them were blind-folded before getting out of the van so if they decided to escape, it would take a little work before they could get out.

"Yeah." she replied in a small whisper. "You?"

"Yes, despite the situation, I think I'm okay."

"Cut the chit-chat!" the man with the gun exclaimed angrily. He then pushed the two using the tip of his pistol into the mansion, leading them through mansion while being roughly guided. They then entered a seemingly large room with a considerable amount of lighting that was blinding Adel's eyes despite the blindfolds.

"My lord, I have brought them."

Their blindfolds were removed and, instead of simply casting them away, were immediately wrapped around their wrists like make-shift handcuffs. The two groaned at the light as their eyes made the transition from rods to cones. Finally, as soon as their eyes adjusted to the light, they realized just how futile escaping would be.

They gazed at the clones that had surrounding them, amongst which was a single man who looked different from the others. They guessed that he must be the new leader who was leading Delphi.

"Hmm... welcome to my manor, mother of GUILT!" Heinrich then cackled a menacing laugh which caused Adel to shudder.

"_Mother of GUILT..."_ Adel wondered why he would call Angie such a horrible thing. He was unsure of Angie's entire relation in the GUILT war because he wasn't informed of the entire story.

Angie frowned. That was the same name Adam had given her previously the last time they were at a major Delphi hideout. She despised the name, but she did her best to keep the anger to herself. "You must be Delphi's new boss..." Angie spat out with excess venom in her voice. Clearly holding back her anger was going to be tough.

"That is correct. My name is Heinrich von Raiteneau and it is a pleasure to finally meet the traitor nurse who greatly aided in my grandfather's downfall." Though his voice sounded content, his face was red with anger at the thought. "The vengeance I have waited so long to exact has finally been brought to fruition!"

"So you're the one behind the outbreaks we as doctors have been combating!" Adel exclaimed with a hint or realization. The memories of the operations he aided in with many people suffering fuelled his burning anger. "You are truly a despicable man, wishing for people's death. How could you?"

"Ha-! Doctors... rebels to the natural order. You prolong lives meant to be diminished, throwing the natural order off balance. Men now suffer from old age when they could be at peace. And through all this, you still obdurately deny the truth at hand." Heinrich gave the two an inexorable look, but Adel was relentless. The man was twisting the truth that he believed in.

"That's not true!" Adel protested. He wanted to strangle the man, but the make-shift hand-cuffs that he just found out about were the only things holding him back from doing such a thing. "Doctors save lives which are precious to their owners. We save them and allow them to enjoy living before the 'peace' a little longer. We save them all from ruthless murderers like you who mercilessly steal these lives thinking that it's the right thing!" Adel gave a steely look that almost seemed as though his eyes were flaring red with anger. Angie moved beside him to try and calm him down, but one of the clones kept them separated.

"Hmph, so this is how you think." Heinrich muttered. "No matter. A battle of wits will provide nothing to me. Someday, you will see the path to light GUILT will bring to us. You are a doctor, so there is no way you can understand, Dr. Tulba." He whispered something to the clones and that clone walked off in a separate hallway. He then came back carrying a silver case. Heinrich opened it carefully, revealing a serum and a syringe. He injected some of the serum into the syringe and flicked it to get rid of any bubbles.

"Say, Dr. Tulba... do you believe that GUILT is no longer a threat?" Heinrich sneered.

Adel was hesitant at answering, but in the end, he nodded. "Yes." he replied with confidence. "GUILT was never a threat because after Dr. Stiles lit the way to defeating the pathogens, there was no need for fear. The serum the HOA made recently; that helped put an end to it."

"Those are LIES!" Heinrich exclaimed vehemently. He snapped his fingers and two clones grabbed Angie by the arms, causing her to scream and wriggle in fear.

"Let go of me!" the blonde nurse exclaimed as she was dragged closer to the Delphi leader. Soon, she was right beside him, causing Heinrich to cackle even more. Up close, Angie could smell how much Heinrich smelled of sanitizing alcohol; he must be in the lab often.

Heinrich stared at the nurse beside him and gave her a toothy grin. "GUILT has an infinite amount of evolutions that it is able to take." he continued. "That serum Acropolis made: soon it will be proven that it is useless compared to the new GUILT! In fact, it and the foolish fools who made it will bow down to the new GUILT!"

"You don't mean like the one we found in Emilio's liver...?" Angie blurted out. Heinrich ignored her. Angie noticed that it seemed as though he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Hmph, enough of that!" Heinrich then quickly injected the serum into Angie's arm. Three seconds after all the serum was in, Angie immediately collapsed.

"What did you do to her?" Adel exclaimed angrily as the clones allowed him to jump to her side in fear. Adel tried to shake her. "Wake up, Angie! Please!"

"She won't wake up until the GUILT I have injected into her has flourished and completely matured." Heinrich cackled. "She will be the mother of the new generation of GUILT, nurturing the new strand with her love."

"You despicable being!" Adel yelled. He then charged at Heinrich and knocked him down with a reverse head-butt. Heinrich got up calmly, wiped off the blood now dripping from his nose, and firmly punched Adel across the face, knocking the surgeon down in return. The clones then literally pounced on him, holding down his arms and restraining him from doing any more damage to his leader. Adel tried to wriggle free, but the poorly thought out escape attempt was futile.

"Bring him to his cell!" Heinrich screamed furiously. "And bring the Thompson girl into the incubation chamber. Intubate her immediately!" And with that, the clones did their job, dragging the two apart despite their wishes. The only difference was that Adel was conscious and was screaming Angie and Heinrich's name the entire way down to his cell.

* * *

"Dammit..." Adel muttered in his lonely cold cell. There was barely any light, so he would pace around and talk to himself to keep on doing something. "Why couldn't I save Angie? Why?" He moved to punch a wall, but giving himself a broken wrist isn't going to help him move forward in this situation.

This wasn't the first time he had gone through this. It had been three days since he had been thrown into this cell and he knew that a rescue team was just a figment of his imagination. He was cut off from the outside world by a metal door with a metal lock. He had to get out somehow. The loneliness of the cell was driving him nuts. By this point, he was on the verge of insanity.

"Maybe I can get out of here by picking this lock!" Adel exclaimed to himself in a way that seemed as though he was hysterical. He took off his headband, revealing a small pocketknife that he kept hidden. The clones didn't search him well enough.

And with that, he used it to pry open the lock, revealing a set of glowing pins. He moved to remove them with his hands, but he got electrocuted. Instead, he switched his Swiss knife to the tweezers and removed the pins one by one, timing it right so he didn't pick up a glowing one and be electrocuted. Suddenly, the lock reset itself.

"Damn... there are more locks." Adel muttered as he used the knife to pry the next lid off. He repeated the same procedure with the following three locks until he realized that his pocket knife had gotten dull. He then spat on the lock to lubricate it, but made sure not to short it out. Using that with the original method, he finally got the final lock unlocked.

"Finally!" Adel mentally exclaimed as the door before him opened. There was a guard right in front of him who looked at him in shock. Adel quickly threw his knife at him, but because it was dull, it only knocked the guard out. Adel watched as he collapsed to the ground, and then proceeded to knock his head against the wall, just to make sure that when he woke up, he was dizzy and memories of this moment were foggy.

Adel stalked around the hideout until he arrived back in the big room where he stood three days ago. He took out his rations that he had been saving and ate them all; he needed the energy after being drained from opening that lock. He suddenly found a satellite phone lying around. With that, he quickly called Caduceus and the Police. During the time he waited to pick up the phone, he became wary of anyone stepping into the room or cameras. He simply found amusement in the lack of security. After calling Caduceus and the Police to inform them of the situation, he made it back to his cell and closed the door as though nothing had happened.

* * *

Mercer managed to negotiate their rights to be involved in this entirely with the Police and eventually got it. Soon after, he had dispatched calls to several top doctors in order to request their assistance.

Derek, Timothy, and few other doctors and nurses of the HOA were suddenly called on in the middle of the night apparently because there was an emergency and that they needed to come as soon as they could. They made their way to the HOA (even though technically, Derek was already there; he had the night shift) where they met up with Mercer informing them that they were needed for the final battle against Delphi.

"... This is the final battle in the war against GUILT and we need to do our best!" Mercer exclaimed, finally concluding his motivational speech. The doctors cheered and prepped several trailers and such. Derek immediately made his way to Mercer who got off the table he had been standing on a table to look above the few doctors; for an important man, he was rather small.

"Sir, will you need me?" Derek asked.

Mercer gave Derek a look that read annoyance and "state-the-obvious-ness". "Of course, Daemon!" Mercer clamoured. When talking in public, he had to be careful to call Derek by his alias. He then dropped his voice to a mere whisper. "Don't bother getting into your disguise though because we are out of time. Just stay in the trailer and don't show your face to anyone except HOA personnel and your sleeping patient.

"Yes sir!" Derek replied. He too then followed the crowd towards the trailers.

* * *

Derek had ridden in the same trailer as Timothy and Mira. Though he was amongst friends, the ride was spent in silence as they all drove to the hideout where the call was traced. They then met up with an entire army of SWAT people and policemen with guns.

"Ah, I'm glad you can make it, Mercer." The Chief of Police greeted the HOA Chief. "But you have to stay here and watch; I can't let you get caught in the cross-fire."

"No need to worry about that." Mercer replied. "To be honest, I hadn't intended to help storm the castle with you, but my medical team will be here on support. You can trust us."

"Very well." The Chief of Police replied. "Men!"

And on that signal, the siege of Delphi Manor began.

* * *

Adel heard the commotion outside his cell and knew that the rescue team had finally arrived. "This is my chance!" he thought. He pushed the already unlocked doors open once more and made his way outside. As soon as he was out in open air, he rejoiced as the Chief of Police signalled for policemen to encircle Adel and bring him over to the safe point.

"Great job, Dr. Tulba!" Timothy replied. He happened to be one of the people Mercer assigned to meet up with the hostages. "My name is Timothy Grey. So you were Derek Stiles' protégé? You must have incredible skill as a doctor."

"Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Grey." Adel was rather fatigued and didn't have the energy to talk. Timothy gave the doctor a water bottle and Adel drank the entire thing in one sitting.

"Adel, where's Ms. Thompson?" Mercer came and asked with much concern. Adel looked down in disappointment.

"I let her down... she's still inside." He slumped over his empty water bottle and thought to himself, feeling the continuous gaze of Timothy and Mercer over him. Thinking of Angie gave Adel renewed strength. "Give me one of the standard issue protection kits! I'm going in to save Angie!"

"Then Mira and I will come along with you!" Timothy replied, flashing a smile to Adel. He didn't care about the fact that Adel had just escaped; he just knew that the green-haired doctor had to do this (Timothy was well aware of the feeling). Adel smiled back.

"_Dr. Grey is unlike the other HOA doctors..."_ Adel thought to himself. Every other HOA doctor was monotonous and dull; it was as though they were mere corpses. They all barely had life to them. However, Timothy was the exception. He was able to think for himself and showed actual feelings. _"He seems more... human than the rest."_

"Judging from your faces, I don't believe that there is any way for me to persuade you otherwise." Mercer replied. He handed each of them a protection kit. "Good luck." Adel equipped himself and the three went off to help out with the strike force.

Another man, on the other hand, came out carrying the body of a blonde girl who had almost been caught in the cross-fire. This happened just as the three headed in. "Sir, I believe I found the final hostage." the soldier replied, motioning to the girl wrapped in a towel, sleeping in an unending nightmare in his arms.

"Bring her to trailer four." Mercer replied. "The doctor there will assist her." The soldier nodded and handed the girl off to the doctor waiting in the trailer.

And predictably, the surgeon was none other than HOA's top surgeon, Daemon Sadahiro. He looked at the girl with the same callous look he seemed to have adapted to. He recognised the face; it was the same nurse from back at Caduceus when he visited. She had assisted him in that operation there.

He himself intubated Angie and prepped the room. He had only performed one other time without a nurse or assistant, but this was the first time it was anything serious. He performed any pre-tests to confirm a diagnosis. He found that there was a Chiral reaction in Angie's stomach; a pre-matured form of Tetarti.

"So they infected her with GUILT." Derek sighed. "Those damn Delphi." He then closed the medical van doors, rested Angie, prepped the machines, and began the surgery. He cut open Angie precisely over the stomach area.

But as soon as he did that, nostalgic feelings washed over him. It felt like something long forgotten was coming back to him...

"_...I promise I'll save you, Angie. No matter what..."_

He shook it off however, at first wondering what that was, but then completely ignoring it. As soon as he got a clear view, he got the syringes carefully and injected the appropriate serums into her. Noticing how annoyingly boring this procedure was after seeing that he was beating Tetarti without the GUILT doing any damage at all, he activated his Healing Touch, allowing the Tetarti to go away much faster as he doubled the doses of the serums before the Tetarti could make their way back into Angie's system. In flat minutes, the operation was done, and Derek closed her up.

However, instead of simply letting go of the Healing Touch, he used it twice to completely stop time. He stepped out of the vehicle, carrying the quickly clothed Angie Thompson in his arms. He carried her back to where he heard the army guy found her and left her off there. He calmly made his way back into the trailer and locked himself in as he released the Healing Touch.

Mission accomplished.

* * *

Adel, Timothy, and Mira found themselves in the final room, anticipating finding Angie considering that this was the only room left unsearched. However, what they found was more life-scarring than finding Angie in a pool of her own blood caught in cross-fire.

"...He made more Sinners?" Adel exclaimed angrily. By this time, he was fully aware of the terminology after three days of eavesdropping on the conversations the guards have outside his cell. They then eyed at the two children incubated in the tank. "That must be the Prince and Princess Heinrich was talking about..." Adel continued. "I believe their names are..."

"Karl and Christine..." Heinrich finally stepped out with a maniacal look in his eyes. "They are my son and daughter: the Prince and Princess of GUILT!" A hysterical cackle managed to escape his lips before he tightly shut them. "I underestimated you, Dr. Tulba. A protégé of the one who defeated Adam by his hands... you seem to have picked up some of his qualities. No matter. Like my grandfather, I will die, but four lifetimes from now, GUILT will bring life back to me and I will be able to change the future then." Heinrich then proceeded to throw a tranquilizer gas bomb in front of everyone, causing everyone to put hazard masks on their faces.

"Here, there is no way you will be able to escape!" Timothy exclaimed as he pulled out the HOA's necrosis serum and injected it into all three people. Suddenly, the GUILT began to react violently as though the serum were an activator. The three began to scream in pain.

"Wh-what did you do?" Adel cried out as the three collapsed in pain. "They were stable and now...?"

"What? No! The serum isn't supposed to harm the human body!" Timothy exclaimed in surprise. "We'll... just have to o-operate on them here..." Suddenly, a sharp pain in his lungs sucked up a massive amount of oxygen, draining all of the energy in his body until he too collapsed.

"Dr. Grey!" Mira exclaimed as the chestnut haired doctor fell to the ground. Mira signalled to one of the soldiers and told him to escort him out of here. The soldier did as he was told.

"You heard what Dr. Grey said!" Mira then stated as he turned to face the green-haired surgeon who seemed to be on the verge of panic. "We need to operate now!"

"But..." Adel was unsure. He felt uneasy about the circumstances. "...I need tools. And an assistant."

"I carried these medical tools in with me when we found the other hostage, Ms. Thompson." Mira quickly replied. "And I happen to be a qualified nurse. You'll just have to work with me."

"_Wow, she's pushy."_ Adel mentally retorted. "Agreed, we'll start now."

* * *

Soon after the three back-to-back surgeries, the three descendants of Adam were sent to a safe hospital to realize how wrong their ideals truly were. Adel and Mira were back on their feet and finally arrived at another incubation room.

Adel immediately spotted Angie lying down in an almost peaceful manner on the ground. She was only in a light green hospital gown. "Angie!" Adel exclaimed as he and Mira rushed to the nurse.

Angie suddenly found herself teary-eyed as her body finally decided that it was time to wake up once and for all. She shook away the tears and found herself in Adel's arms. "Adel..." she murmured. She felt energy finally coursing around her and found the strength to stand up on her own.

Adel relaxed a bit at the sight of Angie still alive, but then he remembered something Heinrich had said.

"_...She will only wake up when the GUILT I injected into her body has fully flourished and matured."_

"Angie! We need to operate on you now!" Adel exclaimed suddenly. "The GUILT that was implanted in you..."

"There's no need to worry about that." Angie replied calmly. She put her hand over the scar on her stomach. "It's not there anymore."

"Wh-what do you mean...?"

"Derek. He saved me." Angie smiled to herself before passing out due to fatigue. Adel managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. Wondering what she was talking about, Adel gently lifted her gown gently to reveal a neatly stitched up scar underneath a bandage. It was true; she had been operated on recently.

But by who?  
And why did they bring her back in here?

Mira proceeded to look over at Adel's shoulder and stared at the scar.  
She knew that technique from anywhere.

"Ms. Sakami..." Adel murmured. "Do you know who operated on her?"

Mira gasped in surprise.  
Had Adel been able to pick up her feelings of recognition?

"Umm... no, sorry." Mira finally stated. "There are plenty of doctors who could have operated on her, but I'm not exactly sure why they would leave her here." Mira glanced down at her watch. "I should get going. I need to see how Dr. Grey is holding up."

"Fair enough." Adel replied while lifting up Angie, cradling her in his arms. "Good luck."

"You too."

And with that, the HOA nurse and the Costigese surgeon went their separate ways.

* * *

A/N: I'll be honest, I wanted to add more, but it's really late and I don't have the time to work for a while now. Yes, I agree, I was rushing this. I wasn't really patient with the work and so it resulted in this travesty (I suck as a writer *sigh*). I promise to you all that in the upcoming chapters, I'll be more patient and such. I guess it's because I'm rather excited to reach the ultimate climax of this story; it's right around the corner! *giggle* At the same time, midterms are coming up and you and I know what that means (well actually by this time they passed and I'm back to writing)

So in normal TC:UTK2 timeline, this is basically chapter six... and there are seven chapters in the actual game.  
What does this tell you?

Alright then, I guess I'll see you next chapter! ;D

**Derek**: Man, I'm so messed up! Me? Bored of surgery? On Angie, for crying out loud?  
**Me**: You're not supposed to remember her, remember?  
**Derek**: Umm... is this one of those trick questions?  
**Me**: *facepalm*

**(**_Oh yeah, speaking of which, I guess you can say that these little dialogues I randomly put in the end of the chapters could be me and Normal!Derek sitting in a cinema, watching the story unfold as though it were a movie... I really love how my friend put that! .!_**)**

**PS**: After writing this chapter, I could see the logic that runs through Delphi's head rather clearly now and I understand where they are coming from. Is that a bad thing? =3

One moar question... Are Greg and Sidney twins or something? I really need to know about their relationship for an upcoming chapter.


	9. Of Regret and Despair

**Disclaimer**: Trauma Center and anything related belongs to Atlus. (When I say it like this, the disclaimer becomes rather boring, don't you think?) Oh... the DS (lite/i/iXL) belongs to Nintendo. ;D

A/N: (Oki) Weird fact – Chapter 11 came before Chapter 8-10. Why? Because I lost my sanity on occasional periods of time and I simply couldn't wait any longer on Chapter 8-10's stupidity so I put it on hold and worked on future chapters. (I'm stupid like this)

So here's Kix's return with Chapter 9, even though technically, I still *cough* did all the work *cough*. Oh man, what was that? I guess I'm coming down with the flu (aren't Canadians supposed to be used to the cold? .) So unfortunately, you guys won't get to see the clear differences between mine and her writing styles like I had hoped to accomplish in this chapter, but hey! At least another decent chapter is up, right? =3

(Actually, I have the entire story in front of me from the beginning to the end and this is the worst chapter of them all so 'screw that!' when I said "poorly written chapter" before and next time... I put up this terrible post to lower audience expectations for the next few chapters... only thing is I have no audience and they have no expectations).

Well, here it goes!  
Presenting Chapter Nine!  
(Kix) Yah, Adel looks like a tennis player to me.

* * *

"Stiles... it's time."

Mercer handed the surgeon the charts for the new patient and allowed him time to glance over it. Derek didn't react at the status of the patient at all, even though this person was a very important lady who went by the name of Reina Mayuzumi. The surgeon soon handed the charts back after reviewing over them well, followed by a sigh in order to calm himself down. He needed to be in a relaxed state if he wanted to do his best.

"So do you understand the procedure?" Mercer inquired.

"Yes... I'll be implanting the new Neo- GUILT, Aletheia, into her heart." Derek replied without a hint of regret in his voice. The words and the fact that he was operating for science didn't even faze him anymore; this wasn't exactly the first time he had found himself in this type of situation.

However, thinking about all the GUILT implants at that moment made the surgeon hesitant as he picked up the scalpel. A dulled pain struck him, shocking his old logic back in. Suddenly, the confidence in his actions wavered.

What the hell was he doing?

Mercer seemed to pick up on his hesitation as well. "...Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"...No, sir." Derek lied. He did his best to push the panic out of his voice. He then thought about something quickly, and then turned on his heels away from the sleeping Mayuzumi to face the President of HOA. "Sir, forgive me for asking, but will doing this for you help her?" Derek asked softly. "I mean... it's still GUILT no matter which way you think about it..."

Mercer chuckled to himself at the question, not even remembering to be concerned over Derek breaking free a bit from the memory lock which was supposed to be persuading his will that this was fine. He knew that implanting Aletheia, the newest Neo-GUILT, would do almost nothing to benefit Mayuzumi in the long run mainly because this was simply a test. However, the result of this test _will_ help benefit his beloved Tracy; she's the only person driving Mercer to continue this insane research.

Mercer simply twisted the context of Derek's question up. If by _her_ Derek meant Mayuzumi, then no, this wouldn't help her; unless this test ended up in complete success. However, if by _her_ Derek meant Tracy, then yes this will be beneficial to her.

"Don't worry, Stiles. Trust me... this will help her." Mercer replied, confident of his answer as he drowned out his guilt with the thought of waking up his wife from her coma. Derek nodded in response, shook away his lingering thoughts on how wrong this was, and proceeded with the operation.

* * *

"Blackwell, I think you need to take a look at this." one of the interns whispered. He had the results of another recent operation performed by Daemon Sadahiro. Kenneth nodded, thanked the intern quickly, and browsed through the results. Lately, he, along with the R&D department of the HOA, has been noticing strange events occurring revolving around President Mercer and HOA's top surgeon. They had results run through them and they all noticed something different with certain operations Daemon had performed.

_"I had come here to find more about Nous because Caduceus assumed that the HOA had something to do with it..."_ Kenneth thought to himself. _"...But I seem to have stumbled upon a different mystery."_ The professor looked down the charts and once again found a similarity with the other cases. He added it to the collection.

All these operations had a few things in common.

One: These patients didn't seem to have anything wrong with them to begin with coming into the operation.  
Two: After the operation, their once perfect health somehow became more than perfect.  
Three: There was a slight Chiral reaction detected, but not that of which matched with anything recorded in their database and it was tiny; everyone has a small form of Chiral reaction in their bodies, though these ones are a bit stronger than normal.

"What do you think, Professor?" the intern asked. The two other researchers with Kenneth walked toward him to hear what he had to say as well; they were well aware of the man's suspicions causing them to suspect the HOA of some crime as well.

"I'm not sure what to think." Kenneth replied. "To be honest, the one thing that stupefies me the most is the Chiral reaction and this Daemon character."

"I've heard of Daemon Sadahiro." One of the professors said. "He's the best here; he's also the closest to the President. When you hear Patrick Mercer's name, Daemon's name comes up immediately afterwards. It's like he's his personal pet." The professor who spoke paused for a moment in thought. "Those two must be in cahoots." he finally stated. "It's the only conclusion. They're doing something weird with those patients."

"...Do you think they could be implanting GUILT?" the intern exclaimed quietly. Despite the fact that it was the middle of the night and there was no one going down the halls, the intern was still careful with the volume of his voice.

"Because there is a Chiral reaction emitting from the patients, it could be possible..." the first professor spoke once again.

"...However, the readings don't seem to match anything known on our database." the second professor helped finish the sentence off for him. "And the Chiral reaction is too weak to belong to a GUILT strand."

"Then it could be possible that the HOA are developing new GUILT strands." Kenneth finished off. "And yes, then inevitably implanting the GUILT into patients."

"What? That's insane!" the intern exclaimed, still being able to keep his voice in a quiet but harsh tone. "I'm pretty sure that even you are aware, Professor Blackwell, but the HOA, which is the category WE fall under, are the good guys! We helped develop the necrosis serum which helped stopped the war against Delphi, GUILT, and medical bioterrorism! Why would Mercer want to develop more GUILT?"

"...I'm not sure yet." Kenneth sighed. "...But unfortunately it's all I have. These strange operation results... Nous... all these have led me to my conclusion that this is what they could possibly be doing. If only we could get close to this Daemon person, then maybe we can find our answers, but he's in a completely different league than us."

"...Ahh... I think I may be able to help you with that..."

Everyone turned in surprise to watch as a man walked into the room. They had seen him around a bit in the building, but because they never even knew the man's name, they all never spoke. They only knew that he was a surgeon as well; his appearance confirmed it.

"...You were listening in?" Kenneth asked suspiciously. The mysterious man simply nodded.

The man proceeded to take out information and notes he had compiled during his investigation these past few weeks. "I happen to know Daemon very well..." the man stated. He didn't even bother with an introduction. "...I had my suspicions on him for a while and recently I've been investigating him. You are correct; he does have strong connections with Mercer. I eavesdropped on their conversations and there always seems to be a cameo of a _little favour_ Mercer wants Daemon to perform. Hearing about the operations and Mr. Blackwell's theory of the GUILT... well, I think this evidence helps the professor's theory a bit more."

The four were stunned with the information the man in front of him had in his possession. "...So you have your suspicions on the HOA as well?" the intern asked.

"Yes." the man replied. "Especially right after the raid at Delphi manor... these secret operations have been occurring more frequently, yes?"

Kenneth glanced back at the dates on the charts. "That's correct." he replied. He thought about if he could trust this man in front of him; they both seemed to be on the same side. "Tell us everything you know on this Daemon character and we'll tell you everything we know on the strange operations."

"..Deal." the man smirked. This is exactly what he was going for. He then sat down with everyone and began to tell them everything he could possibly think about the top surgeon of the HOA. In the middle of his explanation, he pulled out a disk, on it a vital piece of evidence.

"...I found this recording in the room Daemon was supposed to meet Foaly." the man explained. "I believe Mercer wanted to record the conversation between Daemon and Foaly because it is a rule that only the doctor and patient can be in the room during the method. However, Mercer was smart and made sure that the listener had to pass an encryption in order to listen to what's on this recording."

"...I see..." Kenneth replied. He then looked around and sighed. All of these people were geniuses in their specialty, but unfortunately, none of them knew how to use a computer aside from its basic functions. "...Cracking the code will be hard, but I will try my hardest nonetheless." He moved to receive the recording, but the man pulled it away.

"I'm sorry, but I hadn't intended to let you touch the recording. My purpose was simply to let you know that something like this exists." He put it back in his bag with the files and saw the disappointed faces of the men around him. He shook off their glares and continued.

...

The next morning, Kenneth called Caduceus via pay phone. He felt that, coupled with the man's intel, that he had managed to build a strong enough case to place suspicions on the actions being performed in the HOA. Despite the fact that he didn't gain too much new information on Nous, the GUILT in Emilio's liver, he still felt that he had accomplished his mission.

He talked quietly with Sidney explaining all the circumstances of his investigation. He mentioned the operation files he had been compiling and also suggested that Caduceus investigate the case of a certain female who seemed to be having relapse after being in contact with some products from Acropolis. He also mentioned the anonymous person who had come in. Soon, Sidney told the professor his decision with the whole matter.

He looked up to the blue sky as soon as he hung up the pay phone. He watched a single cloud high above him as the wind gently caressed it across the sea of blue and sighed contently.

_"...Angie, I'm coming home..."_

* * *

Chapter Nine: Of Regret and Despair

"Ah, Angie. Adel. Please take a seat."

Angie and Adel, the duo now known as one of Caduceus' brightest, took their respective places in the seats that Sidney had presented them. Recently, they were called into his office to discuss a rather important matter.

"Is there something wrong?" Angie asked after noticing how uneasy Hoffman and Sidney were. The two muttered something amongst themselves before turning back on the two.

"We need you two to perform an operation tonight." Sidney finally replied.

"Oh, alright." Angie replied. "You can send the charts to my office..."

"No see, there are no charts." Sidney continued. "The patient is being brought from overseas and this procedure has to be kept under tight wraps. Please don't discuss this operation with anyone else. Everything remains clear. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir." Adel replied. The two then got up and left without any signs of protest, leaving Sidney and Hoffman alone in the room.

"Are you sure about this? Sidney asked the Director. Hoffman sighed.

"We have no choice." Hoffman replied. "Besides, Adel is the closest thing we have to Derek at this time. Dr. Clarks, Tyler, and everyone else... for some reason, only Adel demonstrates the same charismatic aura as _him_ that makes me put my complete faith in his skills." The senior surgeon then paced around before ending at the windows. He gazed over Angeles Bay where he noticed the skyscraper known as HOA HQ shadowing the land. "The HOA especially can't know about this operation." he continued. "Though they have developed authority and domination over the medical district, we still need to stand tall and solve this problem ourselves."

"Right." Sidney replied. And with that, the two got back to their normal duties, waiting for the arrival of the secret patient.

* * *

"Aren't you even remotely suspicious of all this?" Angie asked as they waited in the lobby at ten in the evening. Everything had been dimmed considering the time and the fact that they needed to save on their electric bill. It's not likely that their funding was going to be raised any time soon.

"I guess I can admit that I am a little concerned." Adel replied. "However, I believe that Chief Kasal will explain everything to us when the time is right."

"I know that." Angie sighed in return. She took a seat on the couch, a little lazy to continue standing up. Adel, however, remained standing. "It's just that it has to be performed at night and I noticed just how nervous the operation made Sidney and Robert. This must be important."

"Well, the patient is apparently from overseas, so there might be a slight time difference..." Adel suggested. "Though I am pretty unsure as to why the patient's condition wasn't properly explained to us..."

...

Soon, everything was set for the operation to follow. Sidney and Hoffman were already in the OR as soon as Angie and Adel arrived all scrubbed up. The patient, a young lady, was already prepped for surgery as well and already asleep due to the anaesthesia.

"We're ready, sir." Adel stated firmly.

Sidney nodded. "Alright then. After the briefing, you two must perform the operation immediately."

"Was it truly that bad?" Angie asserted. "You couldn't even provide us with charts."

"Well, yes, the disease did come up rather abruptly." Hoffman replied. "However, that isn't the true reason of our inability to provide charts. Neither is the celebrity status of the patient."

"She's a... celebrity?" Adel murmured to herself. He glanced back at the patient with a new respect and realized that he had seen her from somewhere. "Ah! She's Annie Fisher! She has been an amazing tennis player as of late!"

"You watch tennis, Adel?" Angie exclaimed with a sceptical smirk. Adel quickly nodded in response.

"Tennis is Costigar's national sport. I would be a fool if I didn't know how to play. I am a big fan of the sport."

Angie sighed, but couldn't help but keep that wide grin on her face.  
You truly do learn something new every day.

"So if popularity isn't the true factor for the confidentiality, then what is?" Angie inquired.

"I was getting to that." Sidney explained. "Ten days ago, she had been experiencing pain in her abdomen and she had it examined. The cause of the pain had soon been determined... wait, no. We aren't quite sure about it just yet."

"What do you mean?"

"There was positive Chiral reaction, but it didn't match any known GUILT strands in our database."

"...So it's a new strand." Adel concluded. "Does that mean that Delphi is still under operation somewhere? Have all our actions been futile?"

"...I'm not sure." Hoffman replied. "But this is a severe problem that needs to be resolved quickly. Do you understand your objectives, Dr. Tulba?"

"Yes sir." Adel replied. "Apparently, I need to figure out what's wrong with Ms. Fisher..." The Costigese doctor sighed. This would have been no problem for Derek, but for him, facing something new was still overwhelming. Unlike Derek, Adel didn't have his amazingly natural skill. He was only just an understudy, nothing more, yet everyone expected so much of him.

Seeing Adel's uneasiness caused Angie to sling her arm around the green-haired surgeon. "There's nothing to worry about, Adel." Angie said with enthusiasm. "It must be hard trying to fill in Derek's shoes, but the Chief and Director wouldn't have picked you if they thought you couldn't do it. And besides, you'll have me by your side the entire time. Remember that there was no way Derek could have become so well-known hadn't it be me by his side. Just believe in yourself and we can get through this!"

"...Thank you, Angie." Adel replied. "That means a lot." The two then smiled at each other, then turned back to Sidney and Hoffman. "We're now ready, sir." Adel declared.

"We'll be ready to jump in when you need us." Hoffman replied. "But I know that this precaution is unneeded. I wish you two the best of luck." Hoffman and Sidney then stepped out and entered the observation deck. Angie and Adel got the tools ready and finally started the operation.

Adel sanitized the incision area before making the cut with the scalpel. Once inside, he noticed one small laceration and fixed it with the sutures. Suddenly, the patient began to convulse.

"Chiral reaction detected!" Angie exclaimed as they watched the newest strand of GUILT finally emerge. "No way!" the nurse exclaimed. "It truly is a new strand!"

Adel turned to the observation deck and noticed how amazed Sidney and Hoffman were above. Their eyes were locked on the operation field and the spinning square with spikes. "Here goes nothing..." Adel muttered as he gazed back at the menacing pathogen before him.

"Take a look at the center!" said Angie as she handed Adel the laser. "We should try doing damage there."

Adel then began to focus the laser beam on the eye-looking part of the new GUILT. Along the way, the GUILT would make several lacerations, forcing Adel to let go of the laser for a bit and suture them closed. Suddenly, the GUILT burst, releasing many spores with it and spreading its shards outward. The only thing left was the core.

"...Is that it?" Adel asked.

"No! The Chiral reactions aren't changing at all!" Angie exclaimed after looking at the chiral meter. "Adel, try extracting the core, but avoid those spores and the shards."

"Alright." Adel replied. He received the forceps from Angie and moved the core away from its central area carefully. As soon as it was placed on the tray, Adel sighed in relief. However, that moment of calm didn't last too long as the GUILT regenerated, a new core and all.

"How are we supposed to beat this if it keeps regenerating?" Adel exclaimed, but then he glanced down at the Chiron meter. "Oh, Chiral reaction decreased." he chuckled.

"I guess this is the right thing to do then." Angie replied. "Dr. Tulba. Please continue with the procedure carefully."

Adel did just that, quite frustrated as soon as the core turned a brilliant red and the spores became hectic. However, this was the last time he had to remove the core and after that, the new GUILT had been defeated. Adel then closed her up and sighed in relief.

* * *

Soon after, Annie managed to recover from her operation. To her surprise, everyone involved with her operation was waiting at the side of her bed. She glanced at the clock. It was 5:30 AM; no one had a chance to go home and catch some sleep aside from her.

"Was I really in that much trouble?" Annie smirked, trying to light up the mood, but no one laughed along with her. "...There was nothing wrong with me a few weeks ago." she continued, this time with a straight face. "But I'm glad I'm cured now. I give my thanks to all of you." Surprisingly enough to her, even this didn't bring up the mood. She thought that maybe they all wanted her autograph, so she moved to look for her bag to get a pen and paper, but moving was strenuous and caused her severe pain. She groaned as a result.

"We understand that you are still in pain, Ms. Fisher, but we need to ask you a few questions." Angie stated. "It's imperative that we figure out how you contracted this disease. Whatever you tell us today... may save lives."

"Oh, is that all?" Annie replied. "I thought you all wanted me to sign something. Alright, shoot." Annie seemed very casual and aloof despite the situation she was in. However, Angie let it go and continued

"Can you think of any aspects of your health that have changed recently?" the nurse asked.

Suddenly, Annie became uneasy. She knew where this was headed. She was aware of a certain change, but she needed to keep it hidden unless she wanted her entire life down the drain. "Umm... no. N-nothing comes to mind, s-sorry..."

Everyone in the room could tell that she was lying.

"Ms. Fisher, please." Sidney insisted. "This disease is extremely dangerous. Anything at all that you could tell us would be beneficial. Please don't hide anything from us."

"...No, I really can't think of anything..." Annie still insisted on lying, but this time, she felt guilt welling up inside her for holding back.

Suddenly, Sidney had an idea. "Your tennis skill has improved drastically over a fairly short period of time, am I right?" This caused Annie to be silent. They were onto her. "Is there anything you did that might have affected your ability?" And still the tennis player remained silent.

"...We may have been able to save your life this time, Ms. Fisher, but without your co-operation..." Hoffman simply left it off at that. There was a morbid silence that hung through the air. Finally, Annie confessed.

"It wasn't me..." Angie admitted. "It was my trainer; he said it wouldn't be considered doping." Annie was hesitant to continue, but then she looked into Sidney's calming eyes and relaxed.

Sidney noticed the patient's emotions as she looked at him in the eyes and mentally face-palmed himself for doing this. "Don't worry, Ms. Fisher. We are aware how much you are risking saying this and so we'll believe every word you have to say." Sidney allowed his voice to dip low until it was stuffed with sweetness. "...I'll believe every word you say." A seductive smile was plastered onto his face, trying to lure the answer out of her. It was a shame he had to stoop this low.

Annie put on a rather large smile and didn't hesitate to comply. "He told me that there was a way I could build core strength, and then he gave me a few injections." Annie explained willingly. "He said it was an approved product of the pharmaceutical company that is sponsoring me. After a few days, I began to feel improvements in my body strength and abilities; I mastered tricks that I thought I could never do. As soon as I realized just how amazing I had become, that's when I had suspicions that what I was doing might be wrong."

She then smiled hotly at Sidney, but he remained erect.  
_"I still got it..."_ Sidney thought to himself.

Angie could only stare in horror.

"Thank you, Ms. Fisher." Hoffman replied, completely unaware of what Sidney had just done. "We appreciate you risking a lot to tell us this."

"Do you happen to remember the name of the company who provided the serum?"Angie asked.

"Umm... yeah. I think it sounded like 'Metropolis' or something." Annie replied.

"You mean Acropolis!" Angie exclaimed.

"_Looks like this story is starting to come right back around..."_ Hoffman thought to himself. _"I had my suspicions, but this only confirms it..."_

...

The four of them then thanked Annie for her information and left her to rest. However, just before Annie closed her eyes, she realized that there was still one person remaining. He hadn't spoken or attracted any attention the entire time he was there.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Annie asked quizzically.

Adel blushed, and then held out a piece of paper and a pen.

"Can I have your autograph?"

* * *

"Can you believe it?" Angie exclaimed later on in the day. She and Adel decided it be best if they left work to rest up a bit, and then returned back at noon. "So it turns out that Acropolis was behind this. And when you think about it, Acropolis is closely related to the Hands of Asclepius, so they must play a role in this too!" She continued walking, but then after realizing that her companion wasn't responding, she stopped.

"Is there something wrong Adel?" she asked. She glanced at the green-haired surgeon and noticed that he was reading a paper and was giggling with glee. She stopped and gave him a rather confused look.

After noticing that Angie had turned to look at him, Adel quickly stuffed the paper into his pocket and blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, no, it's nothing. I hate those HOA jerks! As you were saying?" Adel knew he looked ridiculous right after saying that considering how much Angie was laughing right now and sighed. They then moved on and continued walking.

"Anyways, what do you think of this entire scenario, Dr. Tulba?" Angie asked.

"Oh, I always had my suspicions about the HOA doctors." Adel replied. "I just never knew that they could have been the true enemy all along. I was surprised by the turnout of all this. They helped us greatly in the war against GUILT, but now it comes to this..."

Suddenly, the PA came on. "Special Disease Counteraction Team, please meet in my office." It was Sidney's voice. Angie then looked to Adel with a stern look and nodded. The two of them already knew what the discussion would be about. They took the elevator closest to them and made their way up to Sidney's office.

* * *

"Alright everyone, now we can begin." It was Chief Kasal who had started as soon as Adel and Angie walked into the room. Everyone else was already there and they were the last to arrive.

"So we're here to discuss the enhancement drug Acropolis and the HOA had produced?" Victor asked. Sidney nodded to give him clarification. He then shuffled around in his pocket with his hand and took out a small vial containing the medicine they were to discuss today.

"This medicine... the ability enhancement serum... is quite a remarkable feat." Sidney exclaimed. "It enhances motor skills and also contains regenerative properties."

He stared into the grey medicine as he held it up to the light before passing it around for others to witness. When Adel received it, he was hesitant so he pretended to look at it quickly before passing it on to the person right beside him as soon as he could.

"Are you scared of it?" Angie chuckled quietly so only Adel could hear. The surgeon gave her a light punch back in a way to tell her to knock it off before anyone else picked up on what was going on.

Soon, the vial came back to Sidney and he put it back into his pocket once more. "Of course, with these amazing properties also meant an amazing sky-rocketing price." he continued. "Wealthy individuals are its main consumer base... mostly athletes."

"Wow, that stuff's incredible!" Tyler replied. "Mind if I give it a test run myself?"

"Haven't you read the memo, Chase?" Victor groaned. "There's a terrible side effect..." The researcher paused for a moment. "Actually Chief, I do believe it would be a good idea if we allow Chase to be subjected to the serum!" A devious grin formed on Victor's face and Sidney sighed in response.

"Enough, you two." Sidney glared at the two men and they returned to their proper composures.

"Now Victor." Hoffman spoke up. "I would like to hear what else you think about this."

"Yes, the effects of the serum deserve praise." Victor explained, avoiding Tyler's face. "But the morals behind the manufacturing are all wrong! The worst part is that the medication is probably a derivative from GUILT." The researcher then pulled out ten bucks. "I'm willing to bet that they're pulling off all sorts of illegal research there; all of it safely under the mask that the HOA, and Acropolis in turn, are only working to protect everyone from GUILT."

"That only makes the crime even more arduous." Angie replied. "GUILT research had been banned under international law."

"And Acropolis could tap into a completely massive market with this serum..." Dr. Clarks concurred. "Imagine how many people would be hurt by its side effects due to the lack of knowledge the public possesses about the serum..." Subconsciously, the doctor turned to face Tyler who in return gave him a "what?" facial expression.

"And despite everything, I still can't help but smile at just how incredible the technology used to create this was." Victor continued. "I bet the necrosis serum was made using the same research. The technology in their possession is also capable of creating new GUILT."

"Who didn't see this coming?" Tyler joked. "I always knew that there was something suspicious about them! Speaking of the HOA, do you think that enhancement drug was used to give the HOA doctors the Healing Touch?"

"It would be a logical assumption that they were given the same drug." Hoffman replied. The veteran surgeon stopped for a moment to think, and then sighed. "That would probably mean that all those poor men and women are prone to being attacked by that GUILT." he concluded.

"Yes, that is pretty accurate considering the results of Ms. Fisher." Sidney replied. Fortunately, no one inquired as to whom this person was even though only four people in the room knew what Chief Kasal was talking about; they were all aware that, sooner or later, they would figure out what happened anyway. "We will need to come up with a proper treatment plan." He then looked directly and Adel and Angie who knew that this was coming. "You two will be assisting with this. Adel...you, along with everyone else, will come up with a step-by-step procedure as soon as possible."

"Of course." Adel replied.

"I'll do my part by asking the other branches of Caduceus if they have reports of similar cases." Sidney continued. "Once we have enough evidence, we should be able to properly accuse Acropolis and the HOA."

"Of course, this would have gone worse if it weren't for the inside information we received." Hoffman let slip on purpose.

"You mean... you sent a spy?" Tyler was immediately interested to learn more.

"We sent a certain individual to infiltrate the HOA." Sidney explained. He then looked directly at Angie. "Angie, it was your father."

"My father?" Angie exclaimed. She then turned down the volume of her voice. "So now it all makes sense..."

"He was the man who led us to Ms. Fisher." Sidney continued. "Without his invaluable information, we would have gotten nowhere." He paused after remembering what had occurred when he first told Angie about what had happened to Kenneth Blackwell on that certain night. "I'm sorry for how it had to all work out."

"No, it's alright." Angie replied. She then nodded to everyone else in the room. "It's about time Adel and I got to making that procedure. The faster we complete it, the quicker we'll be able to get a warrant to infiltrate the HOA ourselves." She grabbed Adel's arm and started to drag him out of the door. Adel could only flinch in surprise, but allowed the nurse to drag him away. He knew that she needed to get out of the crowd and be as alone as possible to think over her thoughts about her father. "Anyone who would like to help is welcome to come and join the both of us. We'll be in the break room!" And with that, she opened the door despite a single protest from Tyler telling her to wait up and left.

* * *

"Father!"

The blonde nurse ran up to the father that had once taken on a disgracing title in her mind before what she had learned about him recently. She leapt into her arms and allowed herself to sink into her father's warm embrace. Kenneth could only smile; no matter how old Angie became, she would still be the same loving little child in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for doubting you..." Angie said softly. "...I never knew... I thought..."

"...It's alright, Angie." Kenneth replied as he gently stroked his daughter's hair. His fingers ran down her smooth long hair. "I missed you too all that time."

"Ah, am I breaking up a warm reunion?" The duo broke apart their hug and looked towards the one who spoke; Sidney Kasal.

"No, it is fine, Chief." Angie replied. Kenneth nodded along with her response.

"Very well." Sidney replied. He looked to the building behind him and let out a long sigh. "I'll be honest... I've had my suspicions on the HOA in so long, but after our investigation, my concerns about their methods for medicine finally come to fruition. Just remember that you have to thank your father for this opportunity to bring the information once left in the dark into the light."

"I already thanked him." Angie smiled brightly.

"Good." Sidney replied. He then signalled Adel over to join them. Adel came quickly over. "Alright, it's about time you two assist those in need of medical attention inside. I'm sure that we shouldn't hear any gunfire in this raid considering that all there is inside are harmless doctors. However, I suggest you put on your hazard gear in case someone tries to launch a GUILT attack."

Angie and Adel nodded in acknowledgement of their task and walked off to do what they have to do leaving Kenneth and Sidney behind.

"Chief, will you need me?" Kenneth asked.

"Yes." Sidney answered. "I need you to assist your daughter and Dr. Tulba in there today. I know that you're tired, but you know the inside of the building more than anyone else in here. You can help navigate the two as you all search the building for the missing persons."

"...Missing?"

"...We still haven't found the people who we're looking for specifically. One Patrick Mercer and Daemon Sadahiro."

"I've wanted to meet this Daemon person for a while now." Kenneth murmured. "I've only heard rumours of his skill, but I've never been able to see them for myself. Some even say that he could be better than Derek, but I doubt that."

"...Don't jump to conclusions until you've seen it for yourself."

Kenneth snapped quickly out his train of thought to turn to the Chief of Caduceus in surprise. "You've seen him in action?" Kenneth asked.

"Yes. He and Mercer visited Caduceus a while back and in that time span, Daemon operated on an emergency patient. His skill level is no mere rumour..."

"...Very well." Kenneth replied. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Angie and Adel were ready with their hazard gear on and emergency surgical tools in a bag in Adel's hand. "I'll be taking my leave now."

"Good luck."

And with that, Kenneth joined the pair and the three of them entered the headquarters of the Hands of Asclepius.

* * *

Angie, Adel, and Kenneth both ran into the scene in order to investigate. They were accompanied by an armed SWAT member that had been assigned to be their bodyguard. As they went in, the SWAT member stopped them before scanning the room for any potential threats. However, what he found was something that he hadn't been expecting.

He had heard of sick and dying people, though he had only heard of them through movies and books of major wars. He had fortunately never been to a hospital because his family was rather healthy. He joined the SWAT team recently to fight for the better good... though he would've gladly retracted that resume if he knew that he would have to see what was in front of him.

Before him laid three HOA doctors; all of them screaming and squirming around in pain. However, he could only watch helplessly at their unending suffering; he was unable to assist them or comfort them in any way.

He turned back to the doctors back at the front entrance.  
The only thing he could do was bring him here and protect them from any other threats as they help out these poor men.

"I found potential GUILT victims." the SWAT member announced as he returned to the front entrance to retrieve the medical staff.

"Where?" Adel exclaimed. "Take us to them!"

The SWAT member obliged and led them to where he found the doctors. The only difference this time around from when he came here first was that he brought a relief factor for those suffering and one of the doctors found the energy to stand up.

"AGGHH! Don't come near me!" the doctor screamed. "Don't touch me! Urgh... my...head!"

"Stop struggling sir!" the SWAT member demanded. "You need to calm down!" He then turned to the doctors behind him, itching to get down and operate. "These men were struck down by a sudden onset of pain!" he explained.

"Dr. Tulba...!" Angie gasped. "Look at their ID badges... they're all HOA doctors!" However, Adel barely caught a word of that as he was too caught up with the look of pain in their eyes. He shivered in fear.

Kenneth bent down to check each of their vitals. "Heartbeat and breathing rate are normal and there is no exterior head trauma." he explained. "...Just as I predicted. The GUILT serum is causing brain trauma."

"...Wait, so we need to operate on the brain...?" Adel asked cautiously. All he got was a small nod from the two of them. Adel could only gulp; he still felt as though he was barely out of med school and now they're asking him to tackle GUILT and somehow become a qualified brain surgeon that instant. _"I knew I should've taken that course..." _he sighed.

Kenneth looked at the surgeon expectantly, but ignored his underlying feelings as soon as he noticed two people signalling for him elsewhere. "You two, I am required to assist elsewhere. I will leave these people in you capable hands." And with that, he left. "Oh, and don't start until I have returned!" he called over his shoulder. In case there was a new strand of GUILT that Adel and co. ran into, he wanted to be there anyways to provide support to the cause.

Angie watched her father leave, and then turned her attention over to Adel who was looking at the would-be patients with much hesitation. "Is there something wrong, Adel?" Angie asked with a tinge of concern.

Adel looked away, though on the inside he was screaming.

"_Of course there's something wrong!"_ Adel thought erratically._ "I'm not a qualified brain surgeon and even if I knew what to do, I would still be hesitant with this kind of operation. One little mistake could be a fatal blow to the person's life..." _

"...Dr. Tulba, you sure are a doctor who lacks confidence in his ability."

The voice immediately snapped Adel out of his panic trance and caused him to turn to the source of the sound. Behind him stood another HOA doctor though he didn't seem to be in as much pain as the others. However, his eyes were weary and the Costigese surgeon could see that he too had been suffering from some form of after-effect. Adel looked at his appearance sensing a lot of nostalgia from the man's aura.

"Ahh... Dr. Grey." Adel greeted calmly as soon as he recognised him as being the doctor from the Delphi mansion raid. "You saw right through me."

"And if you would like, I could perform the brain surgeries myself—"A sharp pain suddenly erupted from Timothy's chest causing him to groan. "Ugh... why now...?" he muttered as he tripped over and fell onto the floor.

"Dr. Grey!" Adel immediately ran to the other surgeon's side and helped him sit against a wall nearby. However, within these movements, a disk slipped out of Timothy's pocket. Timothy moved to regain possession of the item, but Angie got to it first. She picked it up and looked at it curiously.

"What is this, Dr. Grey?" she asked as she carefully examined the item.

Timothy chuckled, unsure as to how he should respond. He knew he couldn't tell them what it really was; that would compromise everything. He suddenly fell into another coughing fit, this time resulting in bloody sputum to come from his mouth and fall onto the ground. As soon as it was over, he closed his eyes wearily and wiped off the excess blood from his mouth with his left sleeve. He tried his best to hide the sputum from the Caduceus employees by covering the sleeve he used to wipe the blood off, and fortunately for him, his tactics worked.

Adel patted the surgeon's back gently as he too moved to sit right beside him. He looked to the other HOA doctors who he was supposed to operate on earlier worriedly, but then noticed that Tyler and Leslie made it in time.

"_It seems that they're handling those operations..."_ Adel thought to himself. _"I have to thank them for that later."_ He then signalled silently to Angie to hand the disk over to him so he had a chance to examine it. The Costigese surgeon could tell by Timothy's emotional reactions to them discovering the disk that there was something important on it, but without a disk player of some sort, he would never be able to truly figure out what was on that disk.

In addition to Adel's frustration, Timothy didn't really want them digging into what was on it. Adel knew he was invading personal property. But seeing that the HOA surgeon was simply too wiped out to even react to the situation, Adel nonetheless continued to ponder as to what was could be on that disk. He looked around the case to find any clues as to what it was and only found one.

"What does _D.S._ mean?" Adel asked. He noticed these tiny initials to the bottom right hand corner of the inside of the disk case. They seemed to be scratched on using a sharp needle and were very small. No one would have been able to catch it without proper examination.

Timothy had labelled it purposely for his own use; it was so the disk didn't get mixed up with the other meaningless ones he had in his possession. However, he purposely made it as inconspicuous as possible in case someone else was to gain possession of it (like now). In this case though, he didn't fight back because he had been waiting for the two to discover his clue. This was the final event that allowed him to come to peace with finally revealing the true meanings of the disk and everything else.

"D.S.?" Angie thought to herself. The initials seemed to ring a bell. Thinking back on it, she realized what it could mean. "Those are the initials for—"

"—That portable gaming console!" Adel smirked triumphantly. "Its debut release came out a few years ago and it is the first portable handheld system to feature a touch screen function!" He looked to Timothy with a new gleam in his eyes. "My favourite game happens to be about a medical drama— I never knew you were involved in video games...!" Adel chuckled.

"...I'm not." was Timothy's simple reply.

"...And what I meant to say was that those initials belong to Derek!" Angie exclaimed loudly, a little annoyed that Adel would cut her off to reveal his ridiculous answer. "Derek Stiles..."

"Ms. Thompson is on the right track." Timothy replied, warding off the pain in his chest. Fortunately, it was still bearable at the moment and he knew that now was the time to reveal what he had in mind. "They are the initials of a person, yes. And he too is a brilliant surgeon... Daemon Sadahiro."

"...Oh." the blonde nurse replied. Why was she surprised, though? For some reason, she felt as though she had the proper answer, yet to have it denied in such a way... Not saying that Timothy was rude in giving his response; she just knew that her train of thought was correct.

But in the end, she decided to let it go.  
The doctor before her just didn't seem like a Derek Stalker.

"Why?" Adel then asked. "Why would you label it like that?"

"...I labelled it because I too had my suspicions on him." Timothy replied solemnly. He looked up and noticed that Kenneth had returned from whatever business he had to attend to so suddenly. Timothy gave him a warm smile and Kenneth gasped.

"I-It's you!" Kenneth exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected to see him out of all people, though now that he thought of it, something like this was rather logical considering that all HOA surgeons would've been affected by that medication. "You're that man from before!"

Timothy nodded slowly. If he made too much movement, the pain in his lungs would increase to a point where he would be completely incapacitated. "Yeah... it's me." The HOA surgeon replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you again... Professor Blackwell."

"You know him, Father?" Angie asked. "Though seeing that you both worked for the same man, it could be possible that you met... but he's a surgeon and you're-"

"Yes, I was simply part of the research team and had little contact with the surgeons... or anyone else, for that matter." Kenneth replied. "However, I didn't meet him because of my job but rather as a result of my secret mission. He was the tip-off for the suspicious on-goings around Sadahiro and was the anonymous input that allowed me to return."

Angie looked at Timothy with a new perspective. "Hmm... thank you for providing information and allowing my father to come back, I guess." she then said. "But you never told us your true reason for being a part of all this. I'm aware that my father had come to investigate due to the presence of Nous in one of our patient's liver and that is what apparently led him to his suspicions against HOA's top surgeon." It seemed as though Nous was the turning point for everything. "But why do you, a surgeon who worked under the same scenarios as the man you're investigating, have any reason to be suspicious about Daemon?"

"I'm suspicious because he isn't who he wants us to believe he is." Timothy sighed. His voice was a lot weaker than he had intended for that sentence, but he didn't allow the pain in his chest to stop him from getting across what he was compelled to tell them. He maintained his composure but allowed the power of his voice to drop. "I was suspicious ever since... this recording of him... took place." His breath intakes were now shallow and he could barely speak without cutting off the breath every second. Timothy tried his best to make it seem as though he weren't hyperventilating; he didn't want the people in front of him to worry about him just yet.

"So the CD is a recording?" Adel exclaimed.

"Yes. Of a conversation that reveals the true nature of..." He clutched onto his chest tighter; he knew that this pain didn't come close to being normal. He shoved his pocket for his pills to relieve this pain, but when he pulled the case out, he noticed that he was out.

"_Right... I swallowed them all... two days ago..."_ he thought as a means of scolding himself. His body subconsciously threw him into a coughing fit and only after the three of them sighted the bloody sputum that had resulted in that fit did they all realize that Timothy had been hiding his symptom from them.

"...What's the conversation of?" Adel asked calmly, though his eyes showed concern. He knew that they should be doing something to assist Timothy, but he noticed that Angie had already gone ahead to do just that. Through the corner of his eye, Adel realized that Angie had gone off with their medical kit to prep for surgery.

Timothy looked like he was going to pass out any moment from now, but he still kept a gaze that never wavered. He knew that amidst the pain, he needed to get what he needed across; for some reason he felt as though he weren't going to make it past today and if he were to undergo surgery now, he was unsure whether or not they would be able to save him.

"_He sure is a determined man..."_ Kenneth thought to himself. _"I would try to help him out, but I too want to know the answer from the horse's mouth. He never really told us the true contents of that recording other than it placed suspicion on that surgeon we're investigating."_ He allowed a flashback of the events that had occurred in his lab a few nights ago. Now with this, along with the fact that Adel seemed to be familiar with the man, he knew that Timothy Grey could be trusted.

"Daemon had to meet... with a man named Arthur Foaly... a few months ago..." Timothy explained between breaths that were becoming more and more ragged. He felt as though each intake of air was just weighing him down and that he should probably just stop breathing altogether. The biggest problem that stood in the way of him just simply doing that was that the only way he could talk was if there was air in his lungs, so he pushed onward and didn't submit to the pleasure of unconsciousness just yet. "...He had just... been recovering from an operation... but ever since then... I'm sure that he changed..."

"What do you mean?" Adel pressed on.

"His attitude towards life... his skill... and everything... he became a different person..." Timothy coughed one final time and then used up all the energy he could muster to lift his arm up and hand Adel the disk. "If I don't make it, at least find out... what's wrong with him... and get the old him back..." And with those final words, Timothy finally submitted himself to the endless darkness of death.

"What? Timothy Grey! Dammit, don't die on me!" Adel screamed as he suddenly allowed his knees to bend so he would be able to bend over the doctor and start nudging him in order to help him regain his consciousness. After a few minutes and continually nudging him with a strength that gradually became weaker, Adel shakily got up. Kenneth had to grab onto his shoulders or Adel would've continued walking backwards away from Timothy's body.

"Adel, we're ready on this end!" Angie called out to the Costigese surgeon. Noticing the surgeon's facial expression, Angie could tell that there was something wrong. Even from where she was standing, she could see Adel quivering like a leaf. He was deathly pale and his eyes were bugging out. After waiting a few seconds for the doctor to respond, the blonde nurse abruptly arrived at a dangerous conclusion regarding Adel.

He instantly became paralyzed at the sight of extreme panic.

Angie sprinted over to Adel, grabbed his shoulders, and began shaking him wildly in order to get his attention. "Snap out of it!" she yelled. "We have to start the operation right now!" The doctor continued to be unresponsive, so Angie raised her hand and slapped him straight across the face with a resounding smack.

The force caused Adel to spin in a full circle before falling to the ground. He shook his head to rid himself of the pounding and rubbed his now burning cheek. "Thank you for that." he sighed.

Angie gave him a firm nod in return. "I'll be there when you need me, Doctor. Now help me get him to the table. We need to proceed with the briefing."

And so with a new confidence, Adel and Angie lifted Timothy's body up and carried him over to the table where they stripped him to reveal his chest. "He was coughing violently and clutching onto his chest, so this is where I believe his problems originated." Adel explained.

Unbeknownst to the two, Kenneth had already begun examining Timothy while the two dealt with Adel's paralysis. "You two have to hurry." Kenneth replied. "Fortunately, he is still alive, but if we waste even the slightest moment, he may not pull through."

"Right." Adel replied. He breathed out a deep sigh in order to calm himself down. "So we believe that considering the situation with all the other HOA surgeons, Timothy may be suffering from GUILT-induced trauma in the lungs."

"Actually, it's much worse." Kenneth stated. In his hands, he held a Chiron meter and he had just finished swiping it over the HOA surgeon's chest. "I've detected a Chiral reaction." he continued. "...The only problem is that it's suspicious. The results are ones we have never seen before."

"...It's another new GUILT strand?" Angie asked.

Kenneth solemnly nodded. He looked at the strength of the Chiral reaction and remembered something. "I suggest you two begin now. The anaesthesia should have taken full effect right now." The professor then began to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going, Father?" Angie asked curiously.

"I have to compare something with some of my files." Kenneth replied. "Don't worry... I promise I will come back to assist you." And with that, he walked off.

Angie turned back to Adel and the green-haired surgeon nodded with as much confidence as he could muster. "It's about time we commence." Adel declared. He then rubbed his cheek to soothe out the remaining pain. "Though next time, I would appreciate it if you were to slap me with a little less vehemence."

* * *

As soon as Adel had visual on his right lung, he could already tell that Timothy must have been under great pain. There were several lacerations and pools of pus had formed.

"So after we clear the preliminary damage, the new strand should reveal itself, correct?" Adel asked.

Angie nodded, and then patted Adel on the back as a means of to reassure the doctor that everything will be fine. "Two new strands of GUILT within a week... you're amazing, Dr. Tulba." She then handed the doctor with the sutures so he could close up the lacerations. After that, she proceeded to give him the drain followed by the blue medication to rid Timothy of the pools of pus and the inflammations that had formed underneath said pools. As if on cue, the patient began to convulse.

"Chiral reaction is rising... this is it." Angie declared. "Remember our goal is to save Timothy so do your best!"

"Of course!" Adel replied sharply. His composure was deteriorating, but he knew he had to pull himself together if he wanted to save this man.

As soon as the convulsions stopped, multiple lacerations had suddenly formed all over the lungs. Adel instinctively grabbed the sutures and closed them up on sight. In his head, it felt as though sirens were blaring. His hands had suddenly become cold and clammy, but he balled them up into tight fists to try and rebuild his courage.

"Adel, the GUILT is probably hiding in the organ!" Angie exclaimed. She handed him the ultrasound. "Use this to try and find it!"

"Yes ma'am!" Adel replied firmly. He proceeded to scan the organ and suddenly found a strange looking shadow bouncing around. "Now what?"

"I think you should use the scalpel and cut it out!" Angie suggested. She handed the surgeon a scalpel and timing his aim right with the shadow the strand of GUILT was creating due to the ultrasound, Adel made his incision. However, as soon as the GUILT was released, strange fumes covered the entire operation field.

"What is this?"

Out of nowhere, a gust of wind blew the fumes clear. The pair turned to the source of the moving air and found Kenneth with an air compressor in hand along with a couple of files. "It turns out my suspicions were right." Kenneth explained as h quickly made his way to the duo's side. "That GUILT was developed by the HOA. The fumes you saw just now were the gasses the Neo-GUILT, Sige, had been creating."

"What? Neo-GUILT... Sige...?" Angie asked confusedly. "I don't believe I've heard of such things before." She and her father took a step back to discuss this.

"Neo-GUILT is the name Mercer had given these new strands that he and his company had created." Kenneth replied. "And yes, I too have ended up as part of his scheme. I unknowingly also contributed to this research and for that I apologize." He then pulled out the files in hand without hesitation or pausing for time to receive forgiveness. The files had been mercilessly hacked out of the files Mercer had abandoned and were labelled 'Neo-GUILT'. "However, because of my contributions, I also received access to these files. They took a while to decode, but soon it was clear that I, along with the rest of the research team, had been tampering with GUILT. In my hand now is any form of information I found that may be able to help us defeat this GUILT."

Angie received the file from her father and proceeded to reading it. "Hmm... so this really was the cause of the pus and haematoceles in his lungs." Angie murmured. "But I can't seem to find a method of treating it."

"That's because no one was able to find such a treatment yet." Kenneth sighed.

"That's insane!"

"Umm... I apologize for breaking your conversation, you two, but I could honestly use some help on this end."

Kenneth and Angie snapped out of their train of thought and remembered that Adel was still over there operating on a patient. They had no time to think through it; they had to act now. They turned to face the Costigese surgeon who was simply giving them a weak smile. "Umm... so what do you two think?" he chuckled while injecting yet another syringe filled with stabilizer into Timothy using that method as a means of keeping the vitals up and stalling.

"Right, I'm sorry about that, Doctor." Angie chuckled back, rather surprised at how calm she was. She and her father made their way back beside Adel and looked at Timothy's condition. Sige was still running rampant in his body.

"Look at how fast it is." Kenneth observed. "We'll need a method to cause damage to Sige so we can defeat it."

"Do you think the laser would work?" Angie suggested.

"No. Sige's membrane was designed to be insusceptible to methods such as using the scalar laser." the professor replied. "Its outer membrane acts like a hard and powerful shell, but allows it to be flexible to move as quickly as you can see. Something like a laser won't work because its effects only work if you can keep it stationary long enough to focus the energy and penetrate the membrane to the core. Of course, with the tough membrane, that already makes it difficult, but the strand's movements clearly make that option impossible to fulfill."

Adel injected more stabilizers into the patient and drained some pus that formed while he thought for a moment. "If its membrane is hard then it may be possible to cause damage by cutting it with the scalpel." Adel proposed.

"But then how are you supposed to get a proper aim with it moving around so erratically?" Angie objected. She then thought of an idea that answered her own question. "What if you found a way to stop it for a moment so you could slash it with the scalpel?"

"Alright, we'll try that." Adel replied. "Lay all of the tools on the tray beside me and we'll test out each method." And with that, Angie organized the tools and Adel simply grabbed the first thing his hands made contact with.

_I already know the laser would be useless._

_What could the ultrasound do? Radiate the Sige to death?_

_Oh good, I was already thinking of draining yet another pool of pus anyways._

_I wonder if you inject stabilizer into the GUILT that would cause it to raise the strand's vitals..._

_Damn, the scalpel won't have any effect unless I can get a proper aim..._

_Didn't I pick up the ultrasound already? No effect!_

_I can't get a proper grip on the strand with forceps!_

_Oh my god I need to stop picking up the ultrasound!_

_No, I don't believe suturing a circle around the Sige would be of any use._

Adel felt around the tray once more and found his hand grip onto the handle of the ultrasound for the umpteenth time. "No, I refuse to try you again!" he muttered angrily. Finally, his hands land on the antibiotic gel. He smeared it across the area Sige was and its membrane stuck onto the surface of the gel, causing it to stop moving crazily for a moment. "This is our chance!" Adel exclaimed.

"Right! Here's the scalpel, Doctor!" Angie chimed in. She placed the scalpel onto Adel's outstretched palm while sorting out the materials back into their original position. She knew that they had finally found their strategy.

Adel sliced the Sige with the scalpel, causing it to flee back into the organ. He then glanced over at the Chiron meter and noticed that the Chiral reaction had dropped. "We found the method for defeating this strand!" Adel declared triumphantly. He turned behind to find Angie and Kenneth looking at him with an accomplished.

"You truly are a capable surgeon." Kenneth smiled slightly. "But you need to keep up with the pace. We can celebrate your victory later on when we truly have saved this man."

"Right!" Adel replied. He then used the same method he had used previously, not even showing any signs of panic as soon as Sige multiplied in order to confuse him. He simply avoided striking the oddly coloured replicas and aimed for the yellow coloured one. Soon, all traces of Chiral reaction had disappeared from the patient.

"Adel, we did it!" Angie shouted happily as she gave a warm hug to the weary surgeon.

"We're not done quite yet, Nurse Thompson." Adel replied. "I need to close him up." After Angie let go of him, he grabbed the sutures and cross-stitched Timothy closed. He then applied the antibiotic gel to rid Timothy of any remaining bleeding, and then applied the bandages. "There we go." Adel finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Great job with hanging on against that new GUILT strand." Kenneth commented. "I'm impressed, as usual." He gave Adel a firm handshake, and then turned to Angie. "As for you... I'm sure Derek would be proud of you... of the both of you."

"Thank you, Father." Angie replied. She then gave him a nice hug and allowed the warmth to sink in before letting go and regaining her normal composure. "But until we stop Mercer and find Daemon, we can't stop our offence. We're so close!"

"Then I'd be glad to be on your side." Kenneth smiled. "I'll help you as much as I can."

"Okay, we better clean up and move on to the remaining people in need." Angie declared. "Adel, are you ready?"

She turned and expected to find a calm doctor beaming at her to continue... or at least him sleeping on the ground. However, the nurse found quite the contrary.

Adel was biting down on his lip to try and calm his anxiety, but it clearly wasn't working. He was shivering in fear again. Angie opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but when she examined the scene more carefully. In the doctor's hands were the paddles for the defibrillator and the AED was all charged and ready to go. The vitals monitor was in a flat and steady hum.

Timothy was flat-lining.

The surgeon placed the paddles in the proper position before turning to the vitals monitor. "Clear!" Adel winced as he pressed the button to allow the shock to course through the wires and into Timothy to jump-start his heart. However, it had no effect. "Angie, help!" he cried. "Charge it up to 300!"

Angie sprinted to his side. "Right!" she replied with a worried expression. This caught her completely off-guard. "It's ready!"

"Clear!"

The body seemed to jump in reaction to the shock.  
However, there was still no effect.

Angie charged it up again.

"Clear!"

"Nothing, Doctor!"

"You're kidding me!" Adel groaned. "I swear we managed to rid him of all his problems... what could've caused him to go into cardiac arrest?" He glanced back at Angie who had charged the AED up to 360. "Clear!" he screamed as loudly as he could; he felt as though if he yelled loudly, his voice's power might be able to revive Timothy.

Unfortunately, the poor doctor was still flat-lining.

"I'll try CPR!" Kenneth stated. He gave the HOA surgeon 30 compressions before mouth-to-mouth. He pinched the patient's nose, tilted his head back, and forced air through his windpipe. After a few breaths, the professor moved out of the way to allow Adel room to use the AED once more. After the shock, it still didn't work.

...

Ten minutes later, Timothy was still flat-lining.

Adel was in a flurry of tears. "No, dammit. You're supposed to live, you idiot!" He threw down the paddles and began to hammer at the man's chest. "Wake up, Dr. Grey!" Adel screamed. "You have to stay alive... to find Daemon and your truth!" He continued to hammer away. Timothy's skin began to turn a dark purple; it was bruising due to Adel's violent pounding.

"Adel, stop it!" Angie exclaimed. "He's dead! No one would be able to survive for so long... especially considering how weak his body had become after the operation!" She moved to try and restrain the surgeon by grabbing his arms, but Adel fought back. "It's too late for him, Dr. Tulba! Why can't you just accept that?"

"I won't let him die!" Adel growled. He violently pushed Angie down onto the ground, blinded by his fury to save Timothy.

Angie fell on the ground like a rag doll.  
But she didn't get back.

She looked up at Adel trying to save the patient through the murky tears that had formed. In her mind, Adel's words echoed on. She looked at everything blankly before being thrown into a flashback.

...

"No way! I'm not giving up on you! I will save you!"

She could only look at the brown-haired doctor who was doing everything in his power to save the Spanish patient. Tears were already flowing freely from his face. He pressed the paddles once more onto the patient, despite her protests. _"That's right... I've been in this situation before."_ Angie thought to herself. She looked to the side and found her own persona in the flashback, trying her best to get the doctor to stop trying. _"This... it had been ten minutes into cardiac arrest..."_ Angie remembered. _"There really was no hope left..."_

"Clear!" he screamed dramatically. The patient's body jumped in reaction to the jolt, but the flat line of the ECG didn't budge.

"Doctor!" Flashback Angie protested. "Stop it!" She grabbed onto the surgeon's arms and locked them behind his back in order to prevent him from moving. The force of her grip to his arms forced him to drop the paddles onto the ground. However, the doctor still managed to break free from her tight lock. "...There's nothing we can do from here..." Her voice ended up dropping to a mere whisper, yet its deadly tone pierced right through the brown-haired surgeon's track of mind.

"NO!" the surgeon screamed hoarsely. He simply refused to give in, but his logical side knew that it should be all over. It was already fifteen minutes into the Spanish patient's cardiac arrest, yet he still didn't admit defeat.

However, Angie acted otherwise. She grabbed onto her partner's arms once more, this time crossing them to make it harder for him to escape.

"My Healing Touch—"the surgeon hissed. The blonde nurse struggled as the surgeon did his best to wriggle free and try to use his special time-slowing ability to try and save the patient, but the nurse wouldn't allow him. Angie felt tears form under her own eyes as she continued to watch this flashback.

"_This is where the entire spiral of events began..." Angie felt immediate regret bubble up. "I should've... tried to be supportive..."_ the nurse thought solemnly. _"If only I had a second chance... maybe Emilio would've lived... maybe __**he**__ would still be here..."_

...

Out of nowhere, a large impact was felt right beside the nurse as she snapped out of her thoughts and suffered a violent awakening back into reality. Kenneth had just tackled Adel away from the patient.

"You bastard!" Kenneth roared. "How dare you...!"

"I-I'm sorry...!" Adel stuttered frantically. There were tears in his eyes. He turned to face Angie and was surprised to find that her attention was on him as well. "I'm so sorry for pushing you down, Nurse Thompson."

"That doesn't matter!" Angie snapped. "What happened to Dr. Grey?"

"...It's too late for him." Adel sighed. "You said so yourself..."

"No, that's not true!" Angie retaliated. She got up quickly, picked up the discarded paddles for the AED on the ground, and charged the AED one last time. She then placed the paddles onto Timothy's chest, muttered a quick prayer, then screamed "CLEAR!" as loudly as she could while letting loose the electricity through the wires and sending it into Timothy.

The doctor's body jumped once more in reaction to the jolt, but like all the other times, it all resulted in nothing.

Angie allowed her arms to go limp and dropped them to her sides without letting go of the paddles. She glanced at the clock then put the paddles away. She slowly took out a pencil and picked up Timothy's charts from a tray. Tears fell onto the paper and she could hardly see through the salty water, but her shaky hand still somehow managed to make contact with the paper.

She then wrote down the following:  
_Time of Death - 2:30 PM_

"I'm sorry we couldn't save you, Timothy Grey..." Adel murmured. He got up from the floor and walked over to the dead doctor to take one final look at his face. The expression of the HOA doctor's face wasn't even peaceful; he had left the world in deep pain. "If only you didn't hide your symptoms then maybe we would've been able to save you..." the green-haired doctor groaned.

"Dr. Tulba... we have to move on to the remaining patients." Angie declared. She tried to put on a confident front as though this death didn't faze her, but her voice was weak and trembled which inevitably revealed her true feelings.

Adel looked away from Timothy's pale face and nodded. "Professor Blackwell... I know it may be out of place for me to be asking, but may you clean this up?"

"Sure. I'll let you attend to the others and I'll deal with this place." Kenneth replied softly. He began to clean up the instruments and tools as Adel and Angie turned and walked off in deep silence and regret.

Abruptly, the silence was broken.  
A single blip that defied all logic graced three pairs of ears.

* * *

A/N: OMG this took WAY too long for my liking. I had planned to finish this _story_ earlier, but this chapter took four times longer than I had expected. Kix (who was supposed to be the one writing this) had serious trouble with this chapter previously because a lot of detail was involved (and even when I wrote it I'm still lacking in said detail... meh). Her result was nowhere near my expectations and I was forced to repair it all. However, even the repaired version didn't look good enough, so a couple of weeks ago, I threw out a challenge to Kix and me to make a X-mas fic.

And of course, I automatically lost because I didn't even find the time to finish mine. And that is why this entire chapter was my work (except for Kix's kinda original stuff in the beginning just before the Chapter Title declaration). If you're wondering, sure I'll finish my X-mas fic anyway, but it'll be a ton crackier than I had been planning... oh well.

As for the result: chapter = 12 500 words... what happened?  
Oh hey, guess what you guys? CH. 10 = CLIMAX! And it will come ten times faster than this did, I promise! (I'm actually almost finished it... one more part, some proofreading, then ta-da!)

**Derek**: Wait... Angie's flashback... I'm getting déjà vu...  
**Me**: As you should be! (hint: flip back to Chapter 1)  
**Derek**: 0.0 oh...  
**Me**: It's starting to come full circle...! =D

...

Oh yeah... thanks for all those who continued to read this and stuck by it! You guys are awesome and the fact that this fanfic hasn't been receiving any flames and is actually being read/fav'd/sub'd/review'd is all the motivation I need to continue on and finally finish up the story. Right now, I'm working on Ch. 12 (the final chapter before the epilogue... yes, I'm THAT far ahead). I'm surprised by the amount of effort that I've put into creating this and that's all because I really don't want to disappoint any of you people out there (I've never written such long chapters before... if I put this kinda effort in school o_0). Thanks for everything: especially your enduring patience; that's what is surprising me the most! I hope that you find the final chapters an enjoyable read!

I'll see you guys at the ending!  
Merry belated Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) and I hope you have a great New Year!

~PXLight~


	10. DemiAngel

**Disclaimer**: Trauma Center and all related stuff do not belong to me.

A/N: ZOMG, the climax! It's finally here! *cheers and runs around while laughing manically*. You know, with some fanfic authors, the climax is what the entire story was set for. What I mean is that in some cases, the first little spark of a story instantly becomes the climax in the overall lookout. In my case, this chapter is the first thing I technically "imagined" before coming up with everything else (which yes, includes the previous chapters). Do I have a sick and twisted mind considering what goes on?

Hell yeah!  
Shh... don't tell my teachers who still think I'm the perfect student.  
My parents already know... .

So the beginning is rather Angie POV-centric... I want to save the most important part for last! =D (makes me have to suffer from suspense too... only difference is that writing takes longer than reading... unless you take your time!) I finished this a week ago... I was just really hesitant because people reading would hate the idea... but at the same time, I was completely aware that the story would be leading to the following events. So today I was like "Screw that, I need to get this story out of the way...!"

Haha, I can't write a long pre-read Author's Note for this chapter... I'm just way too excited to see the outcome of this chapter! No more suspense!

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Timothy opened his eyes.

It felt like he had finally gotten up after an incredibly long sleep. He couldn't find enough energy to move, so he simply allowed his consciousness to bubble before opening his eyes. At first, the scenery before him was blurry and thick with tears, but he blinked them away and found that he was in a recovery room. He had been here a few times before, but this was the first time that he was in the patient position.

"Are you alright, Dr. Grey?" Angie asked softly to the bedridden surgeon in front of her. She was simply doing her rounds and found out that the doctor had regained consciousness as she was passing by.

Timothy exhaled quickly in surprise. He hadn't heard the nurse walk in despite the quiet atmosphere in the room. He used up a bit of energy to sit up and look at who was speaking to him. As he looked at the nurse straight in the eye, he realized that he knew her and smiled. "Yeah, I am." Timothy replied wearily. "Thank you for worrying."

"That's my job, Mr. Grey." Angie replied. She grabbed a chair and pulled it up so she could sit beside the crippled doctor. "Fortunately, you are recovering at an exceptional rate." she stated. The blonde nurse handed the doctor his charts, aware that he should be able to decipher them right now; even though he just woke up and his mind was blank. Timothy examined the numbers on the paper slowly and was surprised himself. Apparently, after only one day after the major operation, his numbers were already normal.

"Wow." Timothy murmured in amazement. He had been expecting to retain more damage, but it was as though he had simply gone to sleep for a long while. Apparently, he wasn't aware that he was technically dead for fourteen minutes. He ran a hand down the bandaged area on his chest and smiled at the fact that no pain surfaced. He took a deep breath in to test his lungs and found no problem with them at all; this was the best his lungs were feeling in months. "The doctor who operated on me must be amazing!" Timothy exclaimed. He couldn't exactly remember who it was that saved him; he could hardly remember the moments before he ended up in this situation.

But as soon as he thought about surgical skills, he remembered his own Healing Touch.

"Nurse, may I borrow a pen?" Timothy asked politely. Angie handed him the pen that she used to update the data in her charts and watched as the man in front of her lifted it up in the air as though it were a scalpel. He traced a star in the air, but didn't feel the power surge like he would normally feel before come to him. He tried it again, this time willing the feeling to return, but to no avail.

After a few more tries, he sighed and returned the pen. "I knew it..." Timothy shook his head in defeat. "My Healing Touch is gone now... Guess it was bound to happen after you extracted that GUILT anyways."

Angie looked down. This wasn't exactly the first time she had heard of someone losing the Healing Touch. Over the course of these months, three special doctors lost their damned ability. Eventually, it didn't come to much surprise to her anymore. "I'm sorry to learn that." Angie replied solemnly.

Looking to his side and seeing the nurse's sad face made Timothy place an empathetic face on for her. "Oh, c'mon, it's just the Healing Touch!" Timothy exclaimed. "I mean, even without it, I'm STILL the epically awesome surgeon I always will be!" Timothy chopped wood in mid air as a joke and continued to do so until Angie was laughing along with him.

"I guess that's true." Angie had a wide grin on her face which made her realize something. _"... I wish _he_ was like you." _she then thought, but didn't allow that to bring her mood down.

Timothy sighed deeply. This conversation had managed to drain up 90% of his energy. He looked up to the ceiling. "Nurse, shouldn't you be getting back to your rounds?" he asked.

"Yeah, I probably should."

Angie then put the chair back to the corner and walked out while telling Timothy to get some much-needed rest. Timothy obliged happily as he closed his eyes, slumped back onto his warm pillow, and waited until he finally drifted off.

"_...I'm back..."_

* * *

Chapter Ten: Demi-Angel

"The siege of Palmwood Plant is tonight!" Tyler exclaimed dramatically in the break room with all his other fellow colleagues. A few of them nodded in acknowledgement; they too couldn't contain their excitement, but refused to show it. Others screamed, howled, and clapped in response to the news.

This truly would be the final battle against GUILT.  
This war was almost over.

They all had a week's forewarning before today. The army had begun planning their assault and declared that today would be when they would all end GUILT's wrath once and for all. All the Caduceus personnel was pumped as each and every one of them would be playing some vital role in all this, whether it would be providing medical attention to the injured officers or back-up.

However, those of the Special Disease Counteraction Team would be playing a more major role by actually entering the plant and investigating there. Adel and Angie, of course, would be the leading pair.

"I can't wait for tonight." Heather exclaimed. "We need to bring my father to justice!"

The others were easily swayed by how vehemently Heather said that, her unwavering words against her own father quite moving and passionate. Despite her relations to the antagonist, she was quite firm with sticking with their side instead of helping her dad assuming that what he was doing was right. She was choosing her own path.

"You're absolutely correct." Adel stated. "What Mercer is doing is wrong and he should be put away."

Suddenly, Victor walked into the room with a CD player in his hand.

"You finally decoded the CD, Victor?" Tyler asked, quite impressed with the thought.

"Yeah, that's right." Victor exclaimed with a face that, in his own way, almost read accomplishment. "It was pretty hard to crack, but fortunately, I'm acquainted with a computer genius and we finally managed to crack its code."

"So what is it?" Tyler continued.

"Considering the contents, we believe that it's a recording of a conversation." Victor replied. He then pressed PLAY on the radio. The team leaned in carefully to listen in, but Victor instantly got annoyed. "The volume is up really high, so there is no need to lean in." he growled. "Now be reasonable and sit down properly dammit!" He sighed deeply as he watched everyone nervously return to where they were, a little anxious.

After a bit of static, voices finally started to play.

"_President Mercer, I know this may be wrong of me for saying so, but I would like it if you were to watch the procedure from the other room" _Everyone wondered who this voice belonged to.

"_Alright Doctor, I wouldn't want to get in your way."_ The group figured that this was Mercer's voice; Heather's reaction to the familiar sound confirmed it. They heard a bit of shuffling that became more distant, then the opening and closing of a door. Afterwards, there seemed to be a bit more shuffling; they all wondered what was happening. It was like watching a movie, except there was only sound and no visual. They felt very lacking.

_There was a soft sigh, then a murmur that was very audible."...HAZE."_

"That would be the name of the gel used to calm people." Victor explained to the Special Disease Counteraction Team. However, Victor wasn't aware of the other reason as to why some of them murmured curiously; to the others, they were simply surprised to hear a third voice.

"_Yes, Dr. Sadahiro. That is the code name of the gel."_ It was the first voice again. Everyone was surprised to hear a mention of HOA's ace doctor in this recording. _"The gel helps relax and blank out your mind for the following procedure. After about twenty minutes, you should be completely out until the procedure is over."_

"_That's good." _It was Daemon again, though it was hard to tell because the poor quality of the audio made it hard to distinguish the voices. They could only follow along with the conversation and figure out what seemed right. Everyone was really wishing they had some visual; it was painful to only assume what was going on. They figured out that the unrecognisable voice was a doctor and he was about to perform some form of procedure on Daemon.

"_Alright, Dr. Sadahiro. Can you take deep breaths for me?" Large inhales and exhales were then heard. After a bit of breathing, the mystery doctor's voice came up again. "Have you had a heart operation recently?" _

"_Yes."_

"_What happened?"_

"_...I had GUILT."_

The room seemed to murmur in confusion. Just who was this Daemon Sadahiro? As the conversation ensued, things got a bit more interesting.

"_Oh I'm sorry." the first voice apologized. "Considering the situation, did Caduceus have one of their doctors operate on you?"_

"_Yes. Their top surgeon..."_

Angie looked up at the ceiling quizzically. Their top surgeon was basically Derek, her old partner. The both of them remembered each and every one of their patients clearly, the more severe the situation, the clearer. GUILT in the heart... there were only a few patients the two of them operated on with that condition, but none of them were named Daemon... what could this mean?

"_You mean the legendary doctor Derek Stiles himself operated on you? That must have been an honour." Suddenly, there was a loud clatter followed by static and white noise. _Victor sighed and looked to the crowd. "Sorry... we are unsure as to why it keeps doing that..." he explained. "We tried to fix it, but the recording was damaged and was very low grade to begin with, so some parts of the conversation are lost."

_After a few minutes of white noise, there was finally another eligible phrase. "I will now tell you what is about to happen so there is nothing unexpected comes to you who might cause you to jump out of your trance state, meaning that we would have to start over again." From the sound of things, Daemon was back in HAZE trance and the doctor was speaking. "The Foaly Method will act as a memory wiper. You see, the reason I am placing these glasses over your eyes is because..."_

Everyone listened in as the doctor explained the Foaly Method to Daemon. They were all in deep awe, wondering what this all could mean. The figure known as Daemon seemed more distant and mysterious than they had first anticipated.

"Do you know who the other doctor is?" Tyler asked Victor silently. Victor simply shook his head with signs of disappointment, more so on himself.

"It's Arthur Foaly." Angie responded. "Dr. Grey told us himself just as we had received the disk, but as of now, Dr. Foaly had gone missing."

A piece of the conversation then caught the attention of those listening.

"_Mercer told me that he needs your memories of Caduceus erased. You must have been an amazing surgeon, having come from Caduceus."_

"_Yeah..." Daemon replied. "...I was considered one of the best there."_

"_Really now?" The voice rose up in intonation considering the doctor's surprise_. Everyone following along felt as though their metaphorical voices were rose up as well. _"Alright, just one more minute until we begin. I'll just ask you a couple more questions to tell when you are completely asleep." There was a slight pause. "What is your name?"_

"_...D-Daemon Sadahiro..."_ Even those listening could tell just how spaced out and distant the voice seemed.

_A sigh escaped from the doctor. "Your REAL name, Doctor." _

"_Ahh... you got me..."_ Everyone basically leaned in out of instinct, but this time, Victor let it go despite the fact that he knew what was coming. _"My real name... is..." _Static then was the only thing they heard. A few short seconds later, there were clicks and whirs from the machinery, telling the listener that the CD was done playing.

"What?" Angie exclaimed a bit flustered with where the recording cut off. "Daemon Sadahiro is an... alias?"

"Correct." Victor replied bluntly. "I was quite shocked after discovering this, but I got over it a while back." He then removed the disk from the CD player and placed it back in the case. "Thanks to this CD, we now have more of a reason to capture both Mercer and this _Daemon _character. This is why tonight's success is crucial to fully uncover all of the mysteries of this case. I hope that you all do your best and I wish all of us the best of luck." And with that, Victor headed out the door with a triumphant smirk while listening to the sounds of everyone murmuring in agreement in the room.

Damn, he was good at speeches.

* * *

"Hey you! Get your ass over there this instant!" The Chief of Police screamed while pointing to a SWAT team member who was, for some reason, still standing underneath the tree. The soldier was completely oblivious to the recent command and became surprised as he saluted the Chief and then ran off.

The Chief of Police sighed and walked off to the final area; the medical assistance. There, a majority of Caduceus's finest doctors stood, waiting for the next stage of the plan. Some were there to provide medical assistance while those of the Special Disease Counteraction Team were waiting for the building to be cleared so they could go in and investigate themselves.

When they noticed the Chief of Police approaching them, a few of them stood up to greet them. The Chief smiled and then promptly handed each of the Special Disease Counteraction Team a radio. "Await my signal which will be delivered through these radios." he explained. "That's when you put on your hazard gear, grab your equipment, and enter Palmwood. Is that clear?"

They obviously agreed.  
"Clear as mud, sir!" Tyler replied a bit too loudly.

The Chief nodded, and then walked off to finalize the organization of the soldiers before their assault.

The raid then began soon after.

* * *

"_Alright Caduceus! Get in!"_

And with that, the Special Disease Counteraction Team was off along with a few extra doctors who were there simply for back-up. They were then enveloped in a pack of soldiers to prevent any mishaps occurring to the unarmed doctors. They then all simultaneously entered the building, wary of any surprise attacks. Because there was a lack of opponents in Palmwood, the only thing that could harm the soldiers was booby traps Mercer had set.

Speaking of booby traps, a soldier managed to set one off, causing a miniature explosion and a few flames.

"Kyaaaah!" the soldier closest to the explosion screamed before the flames died out and five of them crumpled to the ground. They were all burned at varying severity; the one closest was losing a lot more blood and had more third-degree burns.

"Adel, we have to operate!" Angie exclaimed as she put down her medical gear to prepare, but then one of the back-up doctors put a hand on her shoulder.

"Ms. Thompson, please let us handle it." the back-up insisted. "We don't want to have come all this way for nothing."

Angie smiled at the two back-up doctors and nodded. "Alright, then I leave these soldiers to you two."

"Dr. Clarks, Leslie, you should stay behind and help them too." Tyler exclaimed. Leslie, without hesitating or arguing, quickly jumped and prepared her on-the-go medical kit to begin operating on the burns as soon as possible. Dr. Clarks examined the soldiers and put them in order of severity.

"Tyler, no. I believe you should assist the other soldiers and Victor." Angie suddenly exclaimed. "Considering the severity of the booby trap after-effect, we're going to need as much help as we can to try and track all these. And what if another group is caught up in a blast?"

"Alright, alright. I agree. I'll stay behind." Tyler nodded before running back to where Victor was stationed. He sighed to himself quickly as he was looking for the perfect words to make it so he could ditch the group and be somewhere safer; unfortunately, even he was a little too chicken at the moment to continue onward. The three were very courageous people.

Angie, Heather, and Adel continued on with the remaining soldiers, not even the least bit phased by the booby trap that had just gone off. They would be safe as long as they stuck together.

* * *

"Alright, this is the last place." The soldiers explained as they led the four through the plant. "There seems to be someone in there; we discovered this through our thermal sensor. You have to be careful." They then entered the final room, revealing the most open room of the plant. Heather gasped at the sight of her own mother in a comatose state in the largest incubation tank, along with Mercer gazing warily at her.

"What did you do to her?" Heather cried out to her father. Everyone, including Mercer, remained silent, allowing Heather's voice to bounce around the walls of the room causing echoes. She was about to run down, but Angie stopped her to prevent her from getting hurt.

"Mercer, you should just give up." Angie stated boldly. "You're surrounded."

"No." Mercer protested defiantly. "I have not lost yet." From behind his back, he revealed a syringe filled with an unknown grey medicine. All of them decided that this was the time to move closer to Mercer so they were face-to-face, and they did just that.

"Mercer, the idea of giving the doctors the Healing Touch... the ability enhancement drug... those may not have been so wrong." Adel stated boldly. "But even I've come to terms with how GUILT will never change a life for the better. Everyone involved has been affected in a detrimental manner: even you must see this."

"Ha-ha, I guess you're right." Mercer chuckled. "...though I would like to disagree with GUILT never being able to change a life for the better. You see everything I have done, the Healing Touch and even the HOA... that was all just a front. My true purpose was hidden behind it all." He turned around to face his wife and Heather gasped.

"Y-You were tr-trying to wake her u-up..." Heather stammered. Mercer nodded sadly.

"Yes, that it correct. I was trying to develop the perfect GUILT strand that would have the ability to awaken poor Tracy." He then moved towards Tracy with the syringe he was grasping onto more tightly in his hand. "And I think I found the perfect one..."

"Father, no!"

Mercer didn't listen.  
He injected the GUILT into Tracy.

...

All three of them could only stare in horror as the effects of the medication took effect. Tracy's body began to writhe in pain due to the activation of the Neo-GUILT. Mercer simply stared in horror; his face became darker and darker with each passing second watching his wife go through all the pain.

"What... but how could I have failed?" Mercer gasped. He stumbled backwards away from his wife until he tripped and fell to the ground.

"Father!" Heather cried out. She ran to his aid while Angie and Adel ran to Tracy. They removed any other exterior equipment attached to her and laid her onto a flat surface before prepping for surgery.

"Heather, stay out of this!" Mercer shoved his daughter's offer to help to the side, causing a wave of disappointment to pass through Heather's eyes. He made his way away from his failure; too ashamed to even look at his mistake. "There's still another way...!"

The nurse knew that there was no need to chase after him. Her father was stubborn like that; if he refused her help before, she knew that there was no point trying to help him now or in the future. He was no father to her. Heather let out a sound of disgust before making her way back to Angie and Adel's side to help them out.

Fortunately, by the time she got there, Adel had already opened up her mother and begun the procedure. As she gazed at her mother's insides, several waves of emotions washed over her causing her to be a bit uneasy seeing her loving parent in this situation. Seeing Tracy in a coma was bad enough, but as she realized that her mom had been purposely been infected by Neo-GUILT by her father no less, she wasn't sure if she would be able to even stay in the same room.

"Are you alright, Heather?" Angie asked with much concern. She knew of the conflicting emotions Heather must've been experiencing, but this must've been on a more advanced scale in comparison of all those times she had to help operate on her own father. Somehow, Heather stayed strong and didn't break out into a hysterical crying mode.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern, Ms. Thompson, but I would like for us to concentrate our concerns on my mother."

Angie needn't another reason. "As you wish." The blonde nurse then turned to Adel who had already opened it while she talked to Heather. After using the Chiron meter, he found that the Chiral reaction was high in the area of her left lung. There also seemed to be many lacerations caused by Bythos according to what Angie was seeing in her glance. "How is she?"

"Not too good. Your mother has been infected with Bythos and it is currently in its advanced stages." Adel replied. "In her comatose state, she has already been weakened. Bythos, like in Ms. Fisher's case, made it seem as though it improved the host's health but it in fact created a sort of mask which hided its attacks behind it. Now those vital blows have been revealed seeing that the face behind its mask has finally been uncovered."

"Meaning?"

"We have to save her now or any chance Heather's mom will have of waking up will disappear completely."

Heather didn't even seem fazed by the news. She had complete faith that Adel would be able to save her mother. "Please doctor, let me help you!" she implored. There was an odd silence as Adel sutured up the remaining lacerations before her mom began to converge and Bythos finally revealed itself.

"Pass me the antibiotic gel." Without so much as looking to Heather's face, Adel stuck his arm out to the second nurse, waiting to be handed the medical tool. His voice was strict and straight to the point. He had already made up his mind the moment he had opened up the patient. Without saying a word, Heather handed him the gel and the surgeon smeared it all over the lung. The gel both raised Heather's mom's vitals and sealed away any sudden lacerations Bythos had created.

"Laser, now!"

"Yes, doctor!"

Both Angie and Heather helped hand him the tools he needed over the course of the operation. Over the time he had spent training himself to become a surgeon that had capabilities that may be able to surpass Derek, Adel had managed to make himself ambidextrous; meaning he was capable of using both hands with equal skill. He brought this talent to life as in one hand he held the sutures and the other a scalar laser. Because he had always been right-handed, he kept the sutures in that hand for more precise and agile movements. The laser was held with the left because it required less concentration, but more aim and stability.

Soon, it burst and the core was removable. "Adel, watch out for those spores and shards!" Heather cried out. Adel simply gave her a re-assuring smirk. Dropping the forceps in Heather's hand while gratefully receiving the forceps from Angie as though on cue, Adel removed it with as much precision as he could muster. With this pattern, the three of them were able to defeat the once thought difficult GUILT.

After making sure Tracy's vitals were stabilized and suturing her closed, Angie called for back-up and they moved Tracy out where they can have a better look at her. Of course, the nurse spectators knew that any additional actions weren't needed considering Adel's performance.

Wow Adel, congratulations." Angie exclaimed happily as they all cleaned up. Adel chuckled sheepishly.

"Hehe, thanks."

"Where did you get that burst of confidence? It sure did come at a useful time."

"I'm not really sure... I hope it lasts though."

Adel turned in time to find that an officer was about to grab his attention by tapping lightly on the green haired African's shoulder. The officer retracted his arm back quickly and acted a bit nervously before straightening himself out.

"What is it?"

"Umm... the Chief of Police was wondering if you have seen Mercer."

Adel looked at him dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? He should be right there..." Adel looked to the direction he pointed and found that Mercer had disappeared. "Oh dammit, he escaped again!"

"Adel, there's a secret passage here!" Heather happened to stumble upon a secret switch revealing a passage that was hidden behind an incubation tank. It opened softly, so as of now, they were the only ones to notice. "He probably escaped here. This was the direction I remember he was last headed."

"Alright, we'll go in!" Adel exclaimed. He grabbed Angie and pointed towards the passage. Nodding in understanding, the three then raced towards it without even telling anyone. They had to stop the menace as soon as they could and besides, there aren't a lot of people who could miss something as big as a hole in the wall that led to the end of bio-terrorism.

* * *

The three ran through the secret passageway which led into a third room filled with many more incubation tubes. They all seemed to be alive and working at the moment. The humming sound that they all made simultaneously was almost deafening if it weren't for the voices they heard that somehow blocked out all unnecessary noise. It was monotonous and they all held the same note; a low A flat.

"There are more people here." Adel hissed.

The three tuned their ears so they could focus on what the other people were saying.

"...Mr. Mercer, it looks like we have some unwelcome guests..." Mayuzumi chuckled.

The three gasped in surprise as they came out of their hiding place and revealed themselves to the others. There were now six people in the room; three on either side.

Angie gazed at the three in front of them. From left to right it was Mercer, Mayuzumi, and...

"N-No way..." Angie gasped sharply. The other two were soon to follow as soon as the sight of the third person clicked in their memory. Suddenly, all three of them found themselves in a position where they almost forgot how to even breathe.

Angie's eyes focused intensely on the third person. He was exactly the same; untouched by anything. However, the eyes are what mainly threw her off; that and the fact that he wasn't on the "right" side. He was finally out of his disguise; the mask had been revealed.

"Daemon..." Angie started. The callous eyes were her main focus, but the nurse's mind then transitioned to the remainder of his appearance which allowed a slight click in her mind in recognition of his looks. "No... D-Derek...!" As soon as she said his name, her confidence grew that this was right. "Derek! You're alive!"

The other two with her, who were still staring at the third doctor with bewildered and unbelieving looks, shouted in unison, surprised at just how accurate Angie was. The man standing there really was Derek. "Dr. Stiles?" The two blurted out simultaneously, their faces showing utter confusion.

At the sound of his real name, Derek clenched his fists and grimaced. "How the hell do you know that name?" the surgeon snapped at them. His deep scowl, which was mainly targeted at Angie, caused the three to flinch. They were sure he was Derek, but he wasn't acting like he normally should.

"Derek... it's me. Angie." the blonde nurse said softly, trying to trigger a re-collective event from the man before her. "We were... _partners_ in Caduceus." She hesitantly moved towards the doctor slowly, but his look read "stay back", so she inched back once more.

"Who do you think you are?" Derek growled fiercely. "Answer me! Just how do you know that name?"

"Of course we know your name, Dr. Stiles!" Angie insisted. "...Don't you remember?" Seeing that her words didn't seem to faze the doctor she sighed in defeat but then remembered something of great importance.

The recording.

As soon as she remembered what she had learned before coming here, all the information she had managed to gather in her mind all connected. Technically, HOA's top doctor was Daemon Sadahiro. The recording showed that Daemon had been subjected to memory wiping.

And because Daemon is practically Derek...

"...Ahh, what a touching reunion." Mercer chuckled. "It's a shame that the joy is one-sided."

"What did you do to him?" Adel protested angrily. "Why is he acting like this?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Mercer replied with a tone that was a bit too happy for the scenario. "I mean, it WAS your entire fault."

"What?" Angie cried out. "That's nonsense!" She stepped forward, but seeing Derek's glare back was enough to send her back to her spot.

"Well, it's not as though he's being held captive here." Mercer continued. "He came to me out of his own free will; Derek chose to seek help from me. Unlike all of you who drove him away, I accepted him and helped him." Everyone looked to Derek, who looked away from all their gazes as though he didn't want to be looking into someone's eyes at the time.

Thinking on it, Angie clenched her fist. Mercer was twisting the truth. She knew that this all started back when Derek had lost his Healing Touch after not being able to save Emilio. All three of them had snapped at him for what had happened and then Derek was sent to Hope Hospital to try and "recover". The story from there still remained a mystery, but it seems as though the fog was finally starting to clear up.

"So Derek didn't die, but rather set up a fake death..." Angie muttered. "...And then he became _Daemon Sadahiro_..."

"Correct!" Mayuzumi jumped in. Unbeknownst to everyone, she too was quite aware of the full story considering her importance to the HOA and her height in power. "He simply performed his normal duties as a ghost until we gave him back his Healing Touch. From there, he became even more amazing than he ever was, but unfortunately, we had to keep his true talent under wraps until we knew it was time." She took a deep breath in and gave a sick smile to the three Caduceus personnel in front of her.

"Ms. Mayuzumi..." Adel murmured. "What happened to you...?"

"I volunteered for this." Mayuzumi explained. "The Neo-GUILT that your friend Derek is liable for placing in me maintains my youth... and my complexion. I am the host of Aletheia, the embodiment of Truth."

"That's insane!" Heather exclaimed. "You're crazy, Mayuzumi! Giving yourself up for GUILT just so you could maintain your beauty; that's just... stupid!" The poor choice of words still had its intended meaning as Mayuzumi gave her a rather frustrated look back.

However, Angie didn't seem to catch what Heather just said as she was concerned with a different part of what Mayuzumi just said. "What?" Angie exclaimed again, almost out of breath. This was all just way too surprising for her; she was barely able to catch up with the whole event. "Derek willingly worked with GUILT? There's no way he would do that, especially after all we've done together!" She looked Derek straight in the eye. "What about all of the times we worked tirelessly to defeat GUILT and medical terrorism? What happened to all that? Why did you opt to forget?"

This time, she couldn't take it anymore and moved to punch Derek straight across the face. A bit before her fist connected with skin, Derek somehow managed to block it, grab her arm, and relentlessly push her back onto the ground without so much as showing an emotion.

Angie let out a sharp groan as she landed on her side on the floor. Adel and Heather went to her side immediately to help her up. "Derek, what is wrong with you?" Heather yelled out. "Snap out of it!" They helped brush off Angie and once they knew she would be fine without them, they let her go.

"See, he doesn't remember any of you." Mercer explained. "I've had an expert doctor make it so." He then pulled out another syringe, this time with medicine that was a different shade of grey than the previous one he used on Tracy. Even Derek was familiar with the serum; he had taken it himself previously. "Now, the piece de resistance." Mercer shot the syringe into Mayuzumi's arm, causing her to jump up immediately afterwards in surprise.

"What did you just do?" Mayuzumi exclaimed. Her heart rate began to rise up rapidly as a small pain erupted in her chest. It quickly consumed her as time went by, growing larger and larger. It didn't take long for the pain to become unbearable.

"Relax, Ms. Mayuzumi." Mercer coaxed the woman with his voice. "If this works, then I believe that this GUILT will finally be able to awaken Tracy... that is all I am truly concerned about. Please let this work!"

However, the unbearable pain only grew larger. Mayuzumi clutched onto her chest in pain and all of them could only watch as the beauty disintegrated, leaving behind the corpse of a shrivelled-up human. It was saddening to realize that she was still alive and fully conscious. There was a constant stream of steam that seemed to be radiating from her body; her pores were wide open and draining her body of any moisture it contained.

She shrieked.  
The high-pitched sound echoed through the factory.

"I can't believe after everything, I have failed..." Mercer sighed. "I'm so sorry, Tracy." He walked away, though no one noticed as all their attention was on the suffering Mayuzumi.

* * *

"Help me... please..." Mayuzumi pleaded with the last bit of strength she has. "If I go... the GUILT... will escape..."

"What does she mean?" Adel exclaimed in confusion. The noise of the culture tanks was suddenly brought to his attention. "You can't mean..."

"All these tanks are filled with GUILT!" Tyler shouted from behind them. He finally caught up and panted after running a long distance. "And you can't let Ms. Mayuzumi over there die because if she goes, the GUILT will be released and anyone with incompatible DNA will simply be... screwed." He glanced at the shrivelling pile that was Mayuzumi. "You SOO had that coming for you."

Tyler then looked up to find the sight of Derek, still impassive, in front of them. "I always knew you were alive, man." Tyler chuckled, not as surprised as he probably should be. Derek simply turned away in annoyance and Tyler rolled his eyes. "What's with him?"

"He doesn't remember us." Adel explained. "Nor does he seem to remember anything that went on in Caduceus."

"...I see." Tyler sighed. He then quickly pulled out a large case filled with a special serum Victor had just finished creating. "You should use this for the operation on her. It's a Neo-GUILT antibody R&D just rushed out."

"Right." Angie exclaimed. "Heather, get ready. We need to operate on her immediately."

"Alright, whatever you say!" Heather exclaimed as she put down their on-the-go medical kit and set up. She quickly intubated Mayuzumi and let the anaesthesia take effect before placing a transfusion on one arm along with an IV. She sanitized the floor before placing a quick blanket and placed the body of Mayuzumi on it. She stripped the woman and placed another blanket over her, covering everything but the operation field.

Angie and Adel helped out Heather with all this after briefing at what to do with Mayuzumi. Angie looked up instinctively and noticed that Derek seems to have disappeared along with Mercer, but sighed and knew that this wasn't exactly the time to be focussing on that. She had an operation to help out with.

"Alright Adel, you know what to do, right?" Adel looked nervously up at the blonde nurse and nodded. He then glanced at the results of the Chiron test that Heather was holding and the two gave it looks of surprise.

"The Chiral readings are all over the place!" Heather exclaimed in a panic. "Oh wait... it's now centering on her heart. I believe that is where we should make the incision."

"Right!" Adel exclaimed. He looked to Angie for moral support and Angie nodded. Though this made him feel a bit better, it wasn't enough. His hands were shaking nervously; this was the final battle of GUILT. He couldn't lose. However, the spell of confidence he had before had worn off. "I'm beginning the operation!" Adel exclaimed, trying his best to cast all doubts aside.

The Costigese surgeon then sanitized the incision area and grabbed the scalpel.

...

All this time, Derek was watching from behind one of the nearby culture tanks, unsure why he felt the need to stay in the area. He noticed that the doctor operating was rather nervous... if this were to continue, it could be detrimental to the operation. He could potentially kill Mayuzumi.

Maybe that's why he stayed.  
He still hasn't lost his drive to save every patient.

Derek felt yet another sharp pain flash through his head, but it instantly calmed. For some reason, he had been having this headache when he was in the presence of the three. Now another person came around and the headache got worse. He tried to shake it off, but it only made the blunt pain worse until it was almost blinding him.

Suddenly, a strange wave of feeling washed over him. It left a calm feeling as soon as it washed over. As soon as it passed, Derek acknowledged the feeling and got up from his crouched position, suddenly knowing well that there is no way the operation could continue on in these circumstances.

He knew that _they_ would need him.

...

Adel managed to make the incision successfully and opened her up. Soon, they were all able to gaze at the woman's heart. It seemed as though there was a black coating on top of everything. Heather waved the chiral meter over the heart and frowned.

"Chiral reactions are coming from the entire heart!" Angie exclaimed in surprise. "It's as though the entire heart is the GUILT!"

Heather watched the Chiral meter carefully. "Doctor, be careful! Even more Chiral reactions are moving throughout the body and converging on the heart!" Adel could only nod nervously.

The heart began to convulse and Aletheia's true form finally revealed itself. A round bulge appeared from the center of the heart and grew until it opened up and... blinked.

"This is Aletheia's true form!" Angie exclaimed. She expected Adel to immediately demand a form of instrument to begin, but no such command came. She looked up at the green-haired surgeon and noticed that he was frozen in fear. "Adel, are you alright?"

Adel couldn't even move. His mouth was gaping while his eyes were locked with Aletheia. He dropped the scalpel out of his hand; he couldn't do anything else. "Th-there's no way we can beat this..." he managed to stutter out. "It's impossible..." He never had experienced such pure terror before.

"Move outta my way then!"

Out of nowhere, Derek burst into the scene in his scrubs, all ready to go. He then looked to the blonde surgeon carefully. "Tyler, I need you to get Adel out of here. He needs to rest up."

"Wha..." Tyler stuttered. "Y-You remember us?"

"Yeah." Derek insisted with a smile. "Watching all of you vehemently risk everything to save her to win the war against GUILT... it triggered instant recall. I remember everything." His voice was so firm and sure; Tyler knew he was telling the truth.

"Right!" Tyler replied. He then helped Adel, who remained silent in shock, to the side to simply watch and rest. "It's alright, Adel. Even I wouldn't have attempted this operation." Tyler whispered to the doctor to help him regain his composure.

"Angie, I'll be taking over this operation, alright?" Derek asked quickly as he looked the nurse in the eye with a slight smile.

Angie looked back at her old partner. Though his deep yellow eyes still continued to throw her off, she realized just how much she missed that warm, reassuring smile that he had on. "Right, Doctor." she replied. "We'll save her together!" She flashed the brown-haired doctor a smile back. "I'm glad you're back, Dr. Stiles!"

"I'm glad to be back, Angie." Derek nodded and then focused his attention on the GUILT on Mayuzumi's heart. "I remember implanting this..." he said shamefully. "At the time, I honestly thought that it was right, but now that I see it like this..." He couldn't bring himself to continue.

"It's alright, Dr. Stiles." Angie replied solemnly. "Just as long as you can save her now."

"Where's the Neo-GUILT antibody serum Tyler brought?" Derek asked immediately. Angie then proceeded to open up the yellow biohazard case containing the serum that Tyler had brought with him. She got a few vials ready along with plenty of syringes. "I'll inject this into the core..."

Suddenly, Kyriaki appeared out of nowhere and Aletheia seemed to close its core.

"Kyriaki must have been summoned to defend the core!" Angie exclaimed. She looked across to her partner who wasn't even worried about the sudden appearance.

Noticing that Angie was looking at him, Derek looked up. "Don't worry, Angie. We can do this." he said confidently. "We'll just defeat them first." The surgeon then picked up the laser and began to zap the Kyriaki away, fixing any lacerations they made as he picked them off one by one. Occasionally, Aletheia would open up, causing Derek to drop what he was doing and inject some of the serum which was working flawlessly.

Soon, the swarm of Kyriaki was defeated, leaving the core of Aletheia completely exposed. Derek injected as much serum as he could before it opened completely, revealing many blood vessels attached to it.

"Doctor! The Chiral reaction is decreasing but it seems that Aletheia is recovering by taking vitals through those blood vessels!" Angie explained. "We need to sever them with the scalpel, but make sure not to touch the ones that are active."

"Will do." Derek replied. He received the scalpel from Angie, calmed himself down, and casually cut each of Aletheia's vital chains one by one until all of them were cut. The Chiral reaction decreased and they knew that this would be the way to remove this GUILT.

The next swarm then came around. This time, it was Sige, though it wasn't moving as fast as Angie remembered it going when they operated on Timothy. However, there were a larger number of them and they created pools of pus which damaged Mayuzumi's vitals.

"Angie, do you remember how to deal with this GUILT?" Derek asked. Angie was surprised with the question; Derek should've known every single GUILT procedure he had gone through. Then she remembered that it had been Adel who dealt with Sige and not Derek.

"Umm..." Angie had suddenly blanked out. "..."

"—you smother them with antibiotic gel to slow them down, and then cut its membrane with the scalpel." Derek was surprised to see that it had been Adel who answered it instead of Angie. Adel smiled at his mentor. "Thanks for saving myself and her." he said.

"She hasn't been saved yet." Derek replied. "And thank you for remembering how to defeat this strand of GUILT." Derek then grabbed the antibiotic gel from the tray and began to coat it over one part of the heart. The antibiotic gel stopped the Sige in its place for a quick second. In that little time, Derek got the scalpel and cut it, thus defeating it. He noticed an excess of pus forming, so he drained those too. He then continued using this method until once again, another GUILT swarm has been defeated.

Aletheia then was exposed, allowing Derek to inject some of the serum into it once more. He also injected a bit of stabilizer to bring up her vitals. Then once again, the blood vessels returned, this time the circulation a little faster. However, this strand of GUILT was still no match for the legendary doctor as he cut the vessels in an instant.

Finally, the final swarm came. This time, it was Bythos. "Alright, here we have to shoot the laser at its core, and then extract it, correct?" Derek inquired. The observers merely nodded to confirm his response, but then they wondered how he knew. "I still saved patients with these GUILT strands in the HOA." Derek explained. "I learned the procedures there as well, so I'm not too far behind on all this. However, I never knew that these GUILT patients were the results of HOA testing, and for that, I'm sorry." He held his head down in shame once more, but Adel patted him on the back for support.

"We understand, Dr. Stiles." Adel replied softly. "We believe in you and your ability to save her. We already forgive you, so you have to believe that."

"Alright. Thank you, all of you."

"Here, Doctor." Angie handed him the laser. "We're almost done. The Chiral reaction is almost gone."

"Right!" Derek thanked the nurse for the laser, and then proceeded to shoot each Bythos with the laser until its shards disintegrated leaving behind its core. Noticing that the spores weren't there, Derek flashed back to a review he had written himself on this particular mutation of Bythos. It created pockets of blood from underneath the core.

"Angie, I need the scalpel!" Derek exclaimed. He held out his palm.

"Don't you mean the forceps?" Angie asked. "You just need to extract the cores!"

"No!" Derek replied angrily. "Hand me the scalpel now!"

Angie reluctantly handed the doctor the scalpel, still unsure why he needed it. Derek grabbed it immediately and hastily used it to cut open any pockets of blood right underneath the cores. Angie then handed him the drain and sutures so he could fix these up.

"How did you know those were there?" she asked in surprise. Derek didn't reply; he was too busy dealing with the cores.

"Alright, now you can hand me the forceps." Derek sighed. As soon as he got them, he quickly, but precisely extracted them all quickly so their presence wouldn't cause yet another blood pocket to form. And with that, the final GUILT swarm had been defeated. Derek then injected as much serum as he could put in Aletheia before it closed again and formed blood vessels to try and recover. Of course, Derek still found this too easy and cut them flawlessly.

This time around, instead of calling upon another GUILT swarm to defend the heart, Aletheia created more blood vessels and, as a last-ditch effort, makes the blood vessel it uses to absorb energy change rapidly. To anyone watching, all they could see was a blur of spinning red.

"What can we do?" Angie cried out in fear at the sight of it. She then looked up to Derek, who was unnaturally calm, but was frowning at her.

"Stay calm, Angie!" he stated. "All I need to do is concentrate!"

"...D-Doctor?"

"I won't let you die!" Derek exclaimed angrily as he wielded the scalpel in his hand in the same manner as he would when writing. Then in the air, he proceeded to trace his trademark shape, energy filling up even his vision as the completion of the star arrived.

* * *

The kinetic sense then filled his mind as his power bent even time itself. In his vision, everything became monotonous except his operation field. All things slowed down, including the once rapidly changing blood vessels. He could feel his eyes almost bugging out, but otherwise, he seemed to find an inner peace when in this state, even with the circumstances. He smiled to himself; he just couldn't help it.

"I won't let you die!"

He then cut each blood vessel one by one, the calm smile on his face growing as each one was severed. He noticed that there was once again a rise in the vitals as he completed one task after another.

Soon, there was only one more vessel left.  
"There is no disease that can't be cured."

And with that came the end of the GUILT war.

All traces of the GUILT mercifully left Mayuzumi as the chiral reaction dropped to zero. The heart took on a more pink and healthier shade immediately afterwards, allowing Derek to drop his Healing Touch, positive that he managed to save yet another person. Once again though, he wasn't feeling as joyful as he should be.

"We did it, Doctor!" Angie exclaimed happily. "We beat GUILT!"

"Yeah..." Derek replied callously. "...Let's close her up."

"Dr. Stiles...?"

The brown-haired surgeon ignored her concerned tone and took the sutures. He quickly closed the incision point, disinfected it, and then placed a bandage over it.

"That concludes the operation...!" Angie declared to those watching. She had a joyful look on her face; the happiest she has been in a long time. They defeated the toughest strand of GUILT she had ever encountered and Derek was finally back. "Aletheia has been defeated!"

* * *

She looked to everyone. They were all sharing her content attitude... all but Derek who seemed as though someone had just died.

"What's wrong, Derek?" she asked. She then noticed that he was looking elsewhere. She followed his gaze and realized that he was looking at none other than Mercer who was peeking out of his hiding place, his face showing his dismay.

At that same instant, several SWAT team members, Sidney, Hoffman, Greg, Cybil, and the bomb squad entered the room. Derek noticed the new people, looked at them, then glared.

Oblivious to Derek's mood, Sidney, Greg, and Cybil grinned in surprise. "Derek, you're alive!" they cried out happily. They moved to get a closer look, but Hoffman grabbed their arms.

"Calm down." he stated. "If you haven't noticed, the battle isn't over."

"What do you mean?" Sidney asked hesitantly.

"Though I am happy to see that Derek is alive, you must look carefully at Stiles. There's still something off about him." Hoffman murmured. "The aura he is giving off; it's abnormal."

Mercer came out of his hiding place in defeat at the sight of the newcomers and walked until his was right beside Derek. He seemed to be chuckling, but in a more desperate manner. Also, everyone noticed that in his hand he held a remote.

"My hopes have been shattered..." he sighed. "...I have no reason to live." He moved his shaky hand up to reveal the remote to everyone... it was the same one that was on Mayuzumi which would cause the GUILT to be released. "I've been a fool..." he continued. "I was blinded by GUILT and I lost everything... Everything! Why... why?" His shaky finger moved the press a button on the remote.

"He's gonna blow everything up!" Tyler screamed as soon as he realized what the purpose of the remote was. His eyes darted around frantically as he did double-takes on the people behind him to Mercer and back, wondering if someone was going to do something about this.

"Stop!" Angie yelled, but it was no use.

Just before Mercer pressed the button, someone decided to take charge. One of the soldiers stepped forward to prepare to fire on command. However, just as the command was given, the soldier became bewildered due to a lack of a gun in his hand which he could've sworn was in his hand ready to go a second ago. There was also a high-pitched shrill shriek that filled the air.

"Derek!"

Everyone gasped in unison as though on cue.

The surgeon had activated his Healing Touch almost instinctively. With the time almost at a standstill, he was able to quickly grab the remote out of Mercer's hand, the gun from the soldier's hand to prevent him from firing, and Angie. Next thing everyone knew, Derek had the remote in his pocket (out of reach from Mercer or anyone else) and the soldier's gun pointed to Angie's head.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Angie shrieked. She had already been at gunpoint once before; it was even more terrifying in this situation now.

"I can't have Mercer killed." Derek replied. "But at the same time, I can't have Mercer kill everyone."

"Stiles, put the gun down now!" Sidney exclaimed. He stepped forward so he was facing Derek, but Derek simply stared at his previous Chief and placed his hand on the trigger. "You wouldn't dare..."

"Nobody move or I shoot her." Derek stated with a straight face. Once he saw that everyone complied, he continued. "Create a path for us to get out of here." Seeing that this time, no one reacted, he became angry. "Get moving NOW!" This time around, the people slowly shifted, allowing Mercer, Derek, and a captive Angie a way out.

"Derek!" Angie whimpered softly. This was just too much for her; she was too drained to fight back as her emotions rampaged crazily in her mind. "...I thought you remembered me." She barely managed to whisper it out.

Derek looked down at the blonde nurse with a maniacal sneer. "...I lied." he simply said. "I just overheard your conversation and what you called each other there so it was pretty easy to fool you idiots." The surgeon chuckled, but in a way that mocked her. Angie whimpered, but didn't resist as they moved forward. Mercer had nowhere else to go, so he simply followed).

As the three walked past, the Chief of Police, along with the other figures, couldn't help but groan silently in disappointment. From the looks of things, it seems as though Derek wasn't kidding around when it came to using that gun. They all felt helpless.

On instinct, the Chief decided to defy Derek.  
He wouldn't let this go on while on his watch.

He held out his radio to contact a sniper shooter hiding at the top of the room.

"Fire."

There was a shot that pierced its target.

A loud scream.

Lots of blood.

Then silence.

* * *

A/N: I know... I hurt Derek's character so much in this chapter (ironically, it will be the next chapter that will do a ton more damage... wow, I know). Haha, and yes, the part I imagined would be Derek holding a gun to Angie's head. Why? Well, isn't that why I had a whole story wound up? I know I'm sick and twisted for wanting this to occur, but it's a rather interesting plot twist... I hope you weren't expecting this to be so straightforward.

Well, fortunately, we are only two chapters away from the epilogue (but I'm thinking of adding a bonus chapter if I have time ;D). Well, I sure can't wait to finish this. I really hope you guys enjoyed!

Just to make something clear: Derek claims he was operated on Caduceus's "top surgeon" making everyone to believe that Daemon was operated on Derek. However, in reality (or in Second Opinion anyway; that as close to VG reality as you can get), the top surgeon he was referring to was Nozomi Weaver/Naomi Kimishima in Caduceus Europe. She technically was their best surgeon...

So I'm thinking whether I should kill Derek or not...  
Okay, I'm kidding. I already decided that I'll go for the most violent solution for the most drama.

Oh yeah, the way Aletheia is described here is the same way I managed to defeat it (with a few over-exaggerations with the emotions, but otherwise, it was rather accurate). On normal difficulty: S RANK PEOPLES! *cheers* Haha, I'm such a douche! ^^ It was kinda hard at first because I failed at the Sige part and I never knew about the blood pockets Bythos made, but then after a few (ten million) tries, I got it down flat! ^^ Aletheia isn't the hardest Neo-GUILT ever, but it does take a while to beat, so be wary!

Alright, see you all next chapter then!  
Reviews please! =3


	11. The Bliss of a Trigger Finger

**Disclaimer:** Trauma Center and all related never belonged to me. Does it look like I'm trying to make a profit out of this?

A/N: So Greg and Sidney are identical twins and Greg came out of Mrs. Kasal's womb first... I see. Thanks Indochine Ramera and TCGeek for clearing that up a couple of chapters back (no worries, I give credit to EVERYONE in the end of my fanfics anyway; I'm just mentioning these two for now because this is the chapter I was referring to a while back). I Googled it too and you guys are right! =)

Haha, if only you guys knew just how lazy team PXLight has been getting... as we go along, there have been more and more grammatical mistakes and I'm starting to leave plot holes that I can't seem to find until AFTER it's up on the site. I'll probably edit it, but for now, you get to read Chapter 11 (Umm... for a second there, I forgot what chapter this is). I'll be honest, this was kind of hard to write because this is just about as dark as my plot will get (and by dark, I really do mean torture to Derek's metaphorical personality and stuff... not physical torture with snakes and blood and dirty rituals, k'? I honestly don't roll that way). This also, in my opinion, is just about as major as the climax itself (which was a plot twisted chapter, I know, but this is where I get to redeem myself ^^!)

Oh yeah, a lot of direct dialogue from the game is in this chapter, so feel free to completely skip that part (though you'll be missing out on a lot... that part takes up like half the chapter because so many parts are covered). And if you don't know who Yuri Lowenthal is (*gasp*), feel free to get DD!Tyler and have him perform Euthanasia on you! ;D

So there you have it... this time around, not too many spoilers for the game because technically, this is post TC:UTK2!  
Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_A simple recap on the previous actions..._

Derek, Mercer, and Angie were never injured.

The Chief of Police held the walkie-talkie so it was hovering closely to his mouth, but out of Derek's sight range. He was hesitant in giving the command, but his love of country and the fact that the GUILT war needed to be stopped pushed him on.

"Fire."

However, that sniper barely had the chance. As the bullet was launched through the barrel, Derek's heightened senses and reflexes made him point his gun at the sniper he found and shoot first.

The sniper shot ended up missing by miles.  
But Derek's shot managed to completely pierce his revealed leg.

The man screamed loudly, causing everyone unaware of what just happened or why Derek fired a wild shot to turn to the man who came tumbling down his point. Fortunately, his position wasn't too high and he lived through the event. However, the bullet had nicked an artery and he was losing blood fast. A pool of red had already formed in a matter of seconds.

Everyone couldn't help but watch in silence; they couldn't move due to Derek and they couldn't speak due to shock.

"_I can't believe it..."_ Sidney thought. _"He's hostile..."_ The Chief of Caduceus couldn't help but stare in disbelief in the newly changed surgeon. He just couldn't wrap his mind around how he could've changed so fast. It was as though it were only yesterday where he found out that Derek was unwilling to kill a fly. Now here he was, watching the_ harmless_ doctor shoot a bullet right across the man and not panic at all.

"Derek, how could you?" Angie exclaimed in tears. She tried to bite the brown-haired surgeon's arm, but to no avail. "How could you shoot a man and not say anything?"

But despite everything that has occurred, from the out-of-line attitude the crowd around him has showed to Angie trying to bite his arm off, Derek found that he was unable to neither speak nor show any feelings beyond the Daemon-style callous look. The _normal_ Derek would still have never shot the sniper, even if he was at gunpoint. His mind was completely blank as though his brain wasn't allowing any inner thoughts or monologue to be formed.

In fact, it was as though for a moment there, he had lost control of everything.  
And he doubted that he was going to get it back anytime soon.

The three continued to walk on, the gun in Derek's hands firmly pressed against Angie as the three walked until they were outside. However, it turns out that they were completely surrounded, this time with people he knew he couldn't persuade otherwise along with a few helicopters and police cars; their lights blazing their focus on him, Mercer, and Angie. There were so many lights in focus that it started to feel rather warm just standing there.

"Stiles, you're surrounded." Sidney declared from behind him. Derek turned only to find that everyone he left in the plant had run and caught up to him. There was no way he would be able to go back in to find another way out or escape the crowd.

Capture was inevitable.

"Derek, give it up!" Angie exclaimed. She didn't want to say too much in fear that Derek might shoot her next. She could still smell the burning gunpowder against her head.

The crowd that was in the plant shifted revealing several people that used to mean a lot to the brown-haired surgeon. It was Tyler, Adel, Heather, Cybil, Greg, Victor, Dr. Clarks, and Leslie. All of them took a step forward, along with Sidney and Hoffman, to face the three. All of them had strict and silent faces.

"Look at his eyes..." Tyler whispered to Leslie who was right beside him. "...He looks like a maniac. That just can't be Derek!"

"I know..." Leslie replied in a hushed tone. She moved closer so her partner was able to hear her. "...I feel so sorry for Angie. I wonder what kind of thoughts could be running in her head."

* * *

Derek had no idea what he should do. He never really made a good bad-guy in the first place. For that reason, he simply clutched harder to Angie and looked at the people before him with an unnatural calm.

"...What are you going to do now?" Derek said smugly. "It's clear I have nowhere to go, but you can't get to me without me killing your best friend here."

"That's where you're wrong, Derek!" Cybil exclaimed. "You see, we could just shoot you down! We don't care about worthless scum like you!"

Derek looked at her with a brow raised up in question, but still remained his composure. He then looked around and waited, but no shot came. "Poorly made bluff on your part." Derek smirked. He looked as though he was enjoying this, though in all honesty, playing the villain was torture.

Cybil sighed. "Well, at least I gave it a shot." she muttered incoherently. "You guys try to persuade him now."

Greg then stepped out. "Derek!" he called out. "Put the gun down now or I swear you'll find yourself out of a job living in a box in jail where the only food you'll be eating are leftovers the various rats in your cramped cell leave you due to utter pity!" He held his stare for three seconds, but after seeing no reaction from the doctor, he walked back to the others who were now staring at him in confusion.

"What is it with you two and threatening him?" Tyler gawked. "And Dr. Kasal... a box? Really?"

Greg began to rub his chin and chuckled. "Well, I probably wouldn't have gone that far, but..." He glanced back at his loving wife who was preoccupied with Derek. "...I guess Cybil is rubbing off on me."

Victor's turn was up next.  
He stepped forward to get a better look at Derek, and then walked back without saying anything.

"Did you use your special brand of telekinesis or something?" Tyler joked. "But seriously... what the hell?"

"Don't question me, Chase." Victor muttered. "I got a lot more information out of that than you ever would while reading his diary as he told you his life story."

Tyler immediately shut up.  
This was partially because he was intimidated by the head of R&D but also because it was his turn next.

Tyler stepped into the circle the crowd watching the events unfold formed. It felt rather odd because if the eyes weren't on Derek, they were on him. He could almost feel each individual's gaze bore into his skin like a drill. He honestly has never felt such intense stage fright before, but he figured that he should drag his attention away from his own feelings and back to the real task at hand: persuading Derek.

"Derek, you remember me?" Tyler called out to the doctor casually. Derek made no move to respond, but Tyler insisted on continuing. "So your memories had been wiped by the Foaly Method thus changing your personality drastically enough that you are now a completely different person... wow, have we changed you a whole lot then!"

Tyler looked into Angie's eyes to help relax her and Angie smiled. Her smile calmed him down too; at least there was something familiar in this peculiar situation. "Everyone at Caduceus helped moulded who we all know you as." Tyler continued. "You couldn't have become the incredible surgeon and person without coming to Caduceus. I, Angie, and everyone else over there... we all made a big impact on your life and helped you become the person you were... but now..." Tyler looked away from Derek. "...Now I don't even know you anymore! And I thought I was your best friend! Man, put the gun down, dammit! We all need you back!" There were tears in his eyes; his cheerful disposition had been shattered.

Tyler gazed up at Derek and realized that for once, his words seemed to have an impact on the doctor. Derek was looking away from the blonde-haired surgeon with a look of pain in his eyes. The sharp pain that always occurred when his mind was trying to remember something that was forcefully forgotten by the Foaly Method was becoming a lot stronger than usual. However, because Derek didn't know the true reason for the sharp pains meant that he just regarded this as some random sharp pain. All of these memories being kept down was stressing out on the GUILT-induced memory lock in his brain.

"Shut up..." Derek whispered. He figured that if everyone just stayed silent, the pain would go away.

Tyler was staring at the doctor confusedly. "...Excuse me?" he asked.

"...Stop talking or I swear I'll shoot your head off before hers."

At first, the blonde-haired surgeon didn't know how to make of this reaction from Derek, then... _"I knew it!"_ Tyler exclaimed in his mind, even though technically he had just been winging it from the start and he only thought that to make his personal image look good. _"Trying to get Derek to remember really is the way to go! That damn procedure's effects might wear off if I keep this up!" _He looked back to the doctor with a renewed confidence. Everyone watching seemed to notice and remained silent to hear what Tyler had to say. "So Derek... even though you don't remember anything about Caduceus you do remember how to operate and such meaning that you probably remember the things that occurred in med school." Tyler chuckled at the memories that were coming up. "I'll be honest... you were never exactly the brightest bulb in the pack. Don't you remember how you would copy off the tests of some brilliant kid in your class? Well..?"

"...Yeah, I remember." Derek muttered. The headache managed to produce a foggy memory of doing just that, but he couldn't remember all the details.

"Do you remember who exactly this person was?"

"...I don't."

Tyler paused for a moment to add dramatic effect. "...You were actually copying off your best friend." he answered. "...And that very friend happens to be standing right in front of you. Your best friend was me."

Hearing Tyler say this, another sharp pain immediately shot across Derek's mind. He cursed under his breath and shut his eyes to try and ward off the pain. The sharp pain was brief but it left behind additional pain to the headache he was already having.

"Yeah!" Angie added on. She seemed to have figured out what Tyler was doing. "Don't you remember that little incident where a nurse screamed at you for not taking good care of a patient? He nearly died thanks to your incompetence!" Angie flashed back to her time at Hope Hospital, just before Derek gained his Healing Touch. "The nurse that snapped at you was me!" Once again, another sharp pain shot through Derek head, causing him to groan in pain. He clutched onto Angie harder; this time to try and divert his attention away from the pain but on something else.

Leslie soon realized what Tyler and Angie were doing. "You guys!" she shouted. "Shout out memories that you all had with Derek! It seems to be affecting him! We might be able to get his memories back."

And like a chain reaction, everyone started to scream out stories of them and their time with Derek whether it was medically related or something that left an impression on them for as long as they lived. The thought was moving as each story contained emotion and love; Derek truly has touched the hearts of everyone. Even though not every story had an effect, the ones of people he had forgotten had a huge toll on him. They also happened to be the only ones the surgeon could hear considering that they were closest to him. Derek was instantly paralyzed and stumbled to the ground, dropping the gun and finally releasing Angie to clutch his head in pain.

"Stop it!" he screamed, but to no avail. He could only watch through tears formed in his eyes the image of Angie running away into Tyler's arms, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. It felt as though something was slashing up his insides and he could do nothing to stop it. He could only see white as SWAT members closed in on Mercer and Derek and incarcerated them by cuffing their hands, then forcing their heads onto the ground. Derek could barely comprehend everything that was going on around him. He watched as Sidney walked up to the Chief of Police, talked to him about something, and walked away after successfully persuading the Chief of Police to do what he wanted.

"Mercer..." Derek whispered, knowing that his boss was right beside him. "..." He barely had the strength to say anything.

"Stiles..." Mercer replied. He knew what was going on, but he couldn't believe it. "There's nothing more for me, but for you... I'm sorry for getting you involved in my mess due to my own ambiguous ideas. It was wrong of me to—" Derek could hear him chuckle. It seems that Mercer could finally see the light of the matter; his head wasn't clouded anymore and he was finally thinking rationally. "Now that my Tracy's gone, I can see the fault in my doings, but for you... I'm sorry for what is to come..."

"...What are you talking about?" Derek replied. He was so weak that his speech was almost incoherent. To the SWAT members stating their rights to them, all they heard was insensible murmurs. "...What you did... your cause... was right. You helped me save everyone... These fools... are stupid to be unable to see the brilliance of your ideas..."

"... Stiles..." Mercer sighed. "...What have I done...?"

And that was the last he would ever hear from Mercer.

Despite the brilliant lights shining around him, Derek noticed his world to get darker and darker. He found black spots in his vision that only became larger until finally, he passed out due to exhaustion or how his body couldn't take any more pain.

* * *

"_What wrong with him, Chief...?"_

"_...I'm not exactly sure. I'm still getting over the shock that he had faked his death to work for the HOA. Why did he think he needed to do that?" _

"_Well he seems to have amnesia..."_

"_Right. Caused by the Foaly Method... but he also seems to have lost his emotions too..."_

"_I agree... did you see the way he treated poor Angie? I know he doesn't remember any of us, but I still don't think the Derek we know would have done what he did to escape."_

"_Well, you know what they say... even the most docile creatures can turn fierce if backed into a corner."_

"_Yeah... but I think there is more to it than that. Could he be suffering from secondary Alexithymia?"_

"_...Excuse me?"_

"_It's where the amygdala... the part of your brain that controls emotional reactions and memories, shuts down due to an overload of feelings. Suddenly, the victim is unable to feel emotion, spare a couple or so."_

"_...That's terrible!"_

"_...But it fits Derek's description... Victor found information on a case involving Derek that was kept tightly under wraps in the HOA. It was about how Derek had managed to severely injure himself due to his drinking habit."_

"—_there's not a chance that's true. Dr. Stiles never drank alcohol in his life! There's no way..."_

"_...Angie..."_

"_He might have done so to compensate the feelings of being apart... the date states that this took place before the recording and his loss of memories..."_

"_Though you may have a point, Chase, I don't believe that's entirely the case. His loss of memory was caused by the Foaly Method and according to Angie and Adel, he was able to show sympathy, compassion, and courage while operating on the final Neo-GUILT."_

"_But wasn't he faking?"_

"_...I guess. Alright, I need CAT scans of Stiles' brain immediately! Check for amygdala functions; this is our priority! And Tyler... please watch over him. He had a heart attack a few hours ago... though we're sure he'll make a full recovery, we aren't completely positive."_

"_Yes sir."_

"_...Oh, and Tyler?"_

"_...Yes?"_

"_Once Derek does wake up, I need to talk to him... an interrogation is much needed."_

"_How about me, sir?"_

"_Oh Angie. I think you'll be fine being Derek's nurse. Just make sure not to sabotage anything."_

_...I can't believe you think that's funny."_

_

* * *

_

Chapter Eleven: The Bliss of a Trigger Finger

_Three days later..._

Derek's vision was swimming when he finally woke up. He thought that his twenty-twenty vision that he had gained faded away, but as he blinked, his vision became sharper until they were completely normal. The light, however, was pretty bright.

"_Am I dead...?"_ he thought to himself before he noticed that he was actually staring into a fluorescent lamp. This couldn't be Heaven (Heaven running on artificial light... wow) and considering what he did, he probably would've gone down under anyways. Despite his disorientation, he forced his body to co-operate and sat up to look around at his surroundings.

It seems like he was in a recovery ward. There were several instruments attached to him and he seemed to be on an IV as well. Thinking of the term "_recovery_", Derek mentally examined his state. Though he was a little sore, the pain in his head had finally faded off and all that was remaining was a serene peace.

"...Angie... Dr. Stiles is moving."

Derek looked to the other side where he found the blonde nurse and her partner surgeon checking on the other instruments on the side by the door. He hadn't even realized that he wasn't alone until Adel spoke up.

"You!" Derek exclaimed in utter disgust and confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"...Oh, you're awake." Angie replied in a cold turn in return. She still held a miniscule grudge over him after what had happened in Palmwood. "And what am I doing here... Well, I work here." She glared at the surgeon angrily and he could only glare back. "As did you before you 'died', Dr. Stiles!"

She spat the surgeon's name out while Derek continued to sit in silence. He didn't want to say anything that could compromise the situation any further.

Derek watched the duo examine the instrument readings and jot their notes down. It took a long awkward silence to get one of the three to finally speak.

"So how long was I out?" Derek asked. He was pretty sure that it couldn't have been just a fortnight.

"Three days." Angie replied as though the fact were completely nothing. "None of us were worried at all... some of us even _hoped_ you wouldn't make it."

"...Ouch, that hurt." Derek chuckled sarcastically. "And to think all of you cared back at Palmwood. Now look at you. Which way is it really?"

Angie looked away from the brown-haired surgeon; her face beet red with anger. Derek knew it (because her ears went all pink as well) and laughed to himself.

"Don't be so rude, Dr. Stiles." Adel stated sharply, cutting off Derek's victory laugh. "We are all aware that you aren't yourself. At least try to stay polite, despite what has happened. It's all over... Mercer has been captured and now you are under custody of Caduceus. All we ask is for your co-operation" On the outside, Adel remained stern, but on the inside, he was smiling at himself, proud at how he was handling things. Derek sighed and nodded.

"That would be fair, I guess..." he replied in defeat, even if he thought that he was entirely his normal self. He then looked directly at the back of the nurse's head. "I'm sorry, Nurse." Derek replied with a tinge of actual sorrow.

Noticing this, Angie turned around and calmed herself. "It's fine." she muttered. "Just call me Angie from now on."

"Right, you told me that the last time I was here." Derek replied. He then looked deeply into the nurse's eyes and a wave of nostalgia hit him. He felt a little uncomfortable with just looking at her... then...

"Dr. Sadahiro!"

Suddenly, Timothy burst into the room, completely exhausted and frantic. At the sight of his mentor, however, he calmed before glancing back at the nurse on his tail, screaming at him to get back to his room and not escape once more.

The nurse was none other than Leslie Sears and when she ran into the room she saw Timothy run in, she noticed the people with him and perked up.

"Leslie, I'll take care of Dr. Grey." Angie stated. "You just go rest."

"Thanks Angie." Leslie replied. She looked towards the yellow-eyed Derek and sighed. "So you still don't know us?" After seeing the surgeon shake his head, she nodded in acknowledgment and walked out.

"Wait... what did that nurse mean by you not remembering them?" Timothy asked quizzically. "Do you have amnesia after what happened at Palmwood?" Timothy had overheard Leslie and Angie talking all about it a couple of days ago in the break room the last time he had 'escaped' the confinement of his recovery room. Timothy, as well as the others, knew that he was completely fine, but because the disease he had was GUILT, he had to stay in case further after-symptoms bubbled up.

"No, I remember everything, Timothy." Derek replied.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Adel asked.

"Yeah. Dr. Sadahiro was my professor and beloved mentor." Timothy replied. "A majority of the skills I have... he taught them to me."

"So you were still busy at the HOA teaching doctors..." Angie murmured sceptically. "Impressive... though I can't see you being able to stand simply teaching others. I thought you would want to stick to saving people on the field.

Before Derek had a chance to reply, Timothy answered for him. "No, he was a professor by day, but at night, he worked the OR's. He's an incredible surgeon... almost like a superhero!" He gave a wink to his mentor, but Derek only glared back.

"Timothy!" Derek exclaimed. "Let me answer myself!" He face-palmed himself to show just how embarrassed he was after Timothy described his work in that manner.

"Oh, sorry, Dr. Sadahiro." Timothy replied sheepishly.

"...Dr. Sadahiro?" Angie chuckled. "I still can't get over how that was the name you decided to go under, Dr. Stiles. I can't believe I didn't realize that the initials were the same too... I was so out of it."

"Wait... _Dr. Stiles_?" Timothy replied.

"Yeah." Angie replied. "I guess you don't know the full story yet. Your Dr. Sadahiro's real name is Derek Stiles."

"I still don't know how you knew that..." Derek muttered.

"You used to work here, Doctor." Angie sighed. "We all knew each other. Get over it." She looked at the doctor's disbelieving face and ignored it. He still looked like she was telling him that Santa was real or the ocean is blue because a giant barfed up blue vomit all over the Earth.

"Wait, wait." Timothy protested. He was getting confused and needed to verbally sort things out. "So Dr_. Daemon Sadahiro_ was really a cover name. You mean my mentor was really the legendary doctor Derek Stiles?" Timothy glanced back at the doctor in surprise. "Wow, that's amazing! Your Healing Touch is really something too... just like I've heard! The real thing is a ton better than the artificial ones the HOA gave."

At the sound of his name, a sharp pain which was blunter than those he received in Palmwood crossed Derek's mind again. He put his hand to his temples to gently massage the pain away.

The PA then squeaked on in Derek's room.  
It did nothing to help with Derek's recurring headache.

"Dr. Stiles, please meet in my office immediately." It was Sidney on the PA.

"Looks like they want to interrogate you, Doctor." Angie stated.

Timothy suddenly ran out of the room and returned three seconds later with a wheelchair and another screaming nurse behind him telling him to give her the wheelchair back. "I'll escort you there, Doctor." Timothy replied happily.

"Thanks, but I'm pretty sure I have legs." Derek replied. He got up without much of a hassle, stretched, and walked out. But then he walked back into the room and waved over Timothy to still come along with him. Dr. Grey happily obliged.

"Don't try escaping, Doctor." Angie called out. "There are armed guards all over this place. The Police still don't trust us to hold you here, so be careful."

"I wasn't dreaming of escaping rather than to somehow redeem myself through the interrogation." Derek called back. "Mercer's plan is over and I have nothing else; might as well try to get a job here so I can get back to saving lives."

Angie listened as the pair of footsteps walked away from the room and thought quietly. Even though Derek has no memories of everything that had happened between the two of them in the past five years, he still has that unending drive to save others.

Some things never change.

"C'mon Adel, we better get moving too." Angie waved to Adel to come with her and he obliged. They then walked away in the opposite direction Derek and Timothy were headed, wondering if Derek or Timothy knew the way to Sidney's office.

* * *

"I see you're back to your chipper self." Derek said kindly to break the odd silence. There was no need to stay mad around Timothy; he knew he could trust him.

"Yeah!" Timothy replied. "I feel a ton better after the GUILT was removed. It turns out that the thing giving us HOA doctors our Healing Touch was based on GUILT DNA and had rather dangerous side effects too. That was what was changing everyone's personality... it's rather preposterous, right?"

"So they removed Sige from you..." Derek murmured. "Can you still use the Healing Touch?"

"Nah..." Timothy looked down at his hands. "I tried it the moment I woke up. However, I learned several new techniques from you and I am pretty sure that I can still save lives like a doctor should. Don't you agree, Dr. Sada— er... Dr. Stiles?" Timothy looked up to his mentor who had more of a morbid look on.

"What's wrong?"

"...We're here."

Every inch of Derek's body was urging him to not enter the door right in front of him, but Timothy was blocking the way to get away from here, unbeknownst to him.

"...Wait. How were you able to find this place so fast?"

Derek looked back to his favourite student dumbfounded. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, technically, you were leading the entire time while I was simply following you. You also seemed to have familiar knowledge of the building. We didn't even stop for directions or anything and yet we still got to this place in a minute tops. How did you find your way?"

When Timothy brought the thought up, Derek shrugged. "...I don't know..." he replied. "...Instinct, I guess."

"Hmm... oh well. Good luck in there then."

And with that, Timothy retraced his steps to find that blonde nurse once more while Derek entered the office.

* * *

"Ahh... Dr. Stiles, please take a seat."

Derek walked towards the desk where behind sat Sidney Kasal. His older brother, Greg, was leaning against the same desk in front. There was a single chair in front of the two and Sidney was signalling for the brown-haired surgeon to position himself there.

He walked up to it, but was hesitant to sit.

"Is there something wrong?" Sidney inquired. "Would you prefer it if I called you Daemon instead?" Sidney remained calm with the idea of having to use Derek's alias, but Greg flinched; the thought hurt considering the relationship between the two.

"No..." Derek replied. "Since you are all intent on insisting that I knew you all in some distant pass, I will allow you to call me by my real name..." He thought for a moment, and then signalled to Sidney. "Do you think you could test this chair for me?" he asked.

Sidney looked at him quizzically, and then took his place on the chair. Greg gasped as his trap unfolded; braces came out of nowhere locking Sidney arms and legs together to the chair.

"Umm... April Fools?" Greg answered weakly as he hesitantly shook his arms in the air as though it were a surprise party. Sidney glared at his older brother.

"...It's October." Sidney muttered. "And get me out of this thing."

"...See, that's the thing." Greg replied softly. "I lost the keys and—"

"Here." Derek then grabbed a wire that he found in his pocket and used it to pick the lock. He succeeded quickly and the chair released Sidney from its captivity. Sidney sighed, fixed his composure, and returned to his spot behind the desk. "And before you ask, it was obvious. The chair didn't look normal."

"Fair enough." Greg replied. "I thought extra security would do us some good." Derek's mentor looked at the younger surgeon sceptically and Derek could tell what was troubling him and sighed in defeat. He took a seat on the chair for the hell of it and let himself to be chained up, allowing Greg to relax. Ever since marrying Cybil, he had been more alert than usual.

"We called you to ask you a few questions." Sidney stated.

"I figured. So shoot."

Sidney was rather surprised that Derek was taking it so nonchalantly. He signalled Greg to leave and his older brother obliged. He pulled out a file containing personality tests performed on Derek recently based on everything Timothy and Angie knew about Derek before he _died_ and what he was like back in the HOA. Both of them apparently found it hard to complete this kind of exam considering how much he has changed. Timothy had the most trouble because in his short time knowing the surgeon, Derek had gone through major personality tweaks along with the rest of the HOA. However, Sidney suggested that he stuck with the most recent results and Timothy obliged.

The results were dramatic.

Sidney scanned the charts and looked at them dumbfounded.  
It was as though the two tests were on completely different people.

"Is there something wrong?" Derek asked.

"No, please wait for a moment." Sidney murmured in reply.

He continued to gaze at the two charts describing what the person was like. He had seen the major difference, but he always seemed to deny what was right in front of him and referred to hard proof in ink.

Personality tests were based on five large categories that psychologists believe to be the most fundamental parts in personality development. In each category, one personality test result was the direct opposite of the other, save for the last category (neuroticism) in which both could be described as remaining calm in tense situations. As a whole, Sidney was sure that the results were accurate, but when compared to each other, it seemed as though the big change of heart was almost impossible.

The person in front of him just COULDN'T be Derek.  
Just a guy with Derek's looks, but there is no way he is the same person.

Derek started to look at the man in front of him with much concern. He had been staring holes into the file he was holding in his hand as though the paper contained the prophecy of the end of the world or something.

"Mister... Hello?"

Sidney finally put the personality tests back into the folder and sighed. "Sorry about that, Stiles." he sighed. "It seems like I have to look at this from a different perspective than what I had previously predicted." He then pulled out a different file from the same folder. This one was the results of the test performed on Derek's brain. The CAT scan revealed nothing andamygdala functions were perfect. There seemed to be no problems with his brain that could have been causing the personality jump. Sidney muttered something to himself before putting it back.

Derek watched calmly. He was pretty sure that he wasn't going to be privy to the information running through the Chief of Caduceus' head anytime soon, so all he could do was sit back and relax while avoiding chaffing around his wrists and ankles.

"_There's no way the personality jump could have ALL been caused by lack of memory of us."_ Sidney thought to himself. _"Yet everything says that there could be nothing else. Even Dr. Grey, our reliable witness, told us that there had been a large personality jump a little after he was sure the Foaly Method took place..."_

Finally, after intense muttering, Sidney moved to reveal a radio with the recording of what had occurred in the memory wipe.

"Stiles." Sidney then said after preparing the stereo. "My goal in this meeting previously was to find out what caused that personality jump and to try and get the old you back."

"And like I've said countless time, this is me. There is nothing to turn back on." Derek replied.

"However, you are wrong and though I still intend to prove it to you, I will use a different approach." Sidney pressed play. "I, along with Greg who is outside the door right now, will simply try to get your memory back. It seemed to have a great effect on you back at Palmwood; if we push it hard enough, maybe you'll remember everything."

The recording then began to play.  
And through the entire time, only one slice of pain cut through Derek's thoughts.

However, this pain was different.  
After the event, he seemed to be able to remember what occurred.

The memory lock was pushed past its limits back at Palmwood.  
As of now, it was disintegrating.

"_So this is what Mercer was talking about..."_ Derek thought. He remembered the meeting prior to the event and everything that took place in that room. Fear and anger bubbled up to the surface and he clenched his fists to hold the feelings back. It turns out that with every flashback came the feelings that it had coupled with the event.

"..." The radio clicked off immediately after the recording was finished. Sidney got up, unplugged it, and put it away, allowing Derek a few moments to let it sink in.

"...I d-don't remember any of i-it." he stuttered. He was still shaky from the flashback.

"You're lying." Sidney immediately replied.

"You have no proof." Derek protested. "I won't say anything."

"Fine. Unfortunately, you will have to sit here and listen to us as we do all the talking." Sidney replied. "We are going to find a trigger to get you to undergo a real instant memory recall." At that instant, Greg walked back in with a cup of coffee and a few more files. He locked the door behind him.

"Did you prep everything here?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, we can begin."

"Begin what?" Derek asked suspiciously. He turned his head back over his shoulder and watched Greg approach him. His eyes followed the man as he walked in front of him beside Sidney, giving half of the papers to him.

There was a long silence. Derek looked to the floor, suddenly self-conscious of what was happening, then...

"_...Since I'm leaving, she's going to be your new assistant."_

Derek looked up dumbfounded. He swore he just heard a voice that didn't belong to any of them. He looked up at the two men and both of them seemed to have not spoken yet.

"_I was supposed to train her this afternoon, but... HR said that she was very reliable. ...I hope everything's okay."_

"_Sorry I'm late!"_

Derek looked around the room. None of the men had spoken, yet there were voices of others around him. However, that last voice, he was confident that he knew. It belonged to that blonde nurse earlier.

Sidney could only smirk. Despite the luxury Derek claims he bathes in, he seemed to still be unaware of the wonders of technology.

_There seemed to be the sound of a door opening, then her voice came back on._

"_I'm Angie Thompson, the new nurse. I'll be starting here tomorrow. Is... Mary Fulton here? I'm ready to go over protocol now."_

"_It's very nice to meet you." It was the first voice again. _

Derek figured that her name was Mary. The voice and name brought back nostalgic feelings that, instead of causing pleasure, caused pain once more.

"_This pain... it must be my brain trying to... remember."_

At the end of it, his mind revealed a foggy image of Mary back at a hospital. This conversation; it took place when _she_ first came to Hope.

"...Fulton." The name slipped out of Derek's mouth. Sidney and Greg turned to the doctor. Unbeknownst to them previously, Derek had managed to free himself from his arm restraints, but made no effort to free his leg shackles from the chair. His hands were clasped together on his knees as though he were praying while his face was down, shadowing over his eyes. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"...I think it's working." Sidney whispered to Greg. "Tell them to move on to the next scene."

"Right." Greg replied. He then put his hands onto his earpiece secretly placed. "You can see what's happening right?" he hissed softly to avoid breaking Derek's train of thought. "It's working! He seems to be remembering things! Move on to the next scene!"

...

"Right!" Angie replied through her own headset. She, along with many other people who had been asked to come down to Caduceus, was in a private room. There were microphones set up in the room and the sounds that were created here were being played in the office where Greg, Sidney, and Derek were currently in now. This was the true plan; to try and re-enact certain memories that could be the trigger to break the memory lock Derek has.

If there was one thing about the Foaly Method, it was that the memories never are really erased but rather are placed under a lock of the mind created by dulling the imprints in the corneas of the eyes. If a trigger comes around (which is an event that closely resembles the markings previous memories have left on the back of the eyes), then the event, in theory, should be able to dig out these grooves and allow Derek to remember.

Already it seemed like it was taking an effect. The lock was greatly worn down back in Palmwood and it hasn't had a chance to recover, meaning that this was the perfect chance to try and help Derek regain everything.

"Great job, Ms. Fulton." Angie whispered over to the woman by her side holding a script in her hand.

"Thanks." she replied in a hushed tone. "I'll do everything in my power to help out poor Derek."

"That means a lot." Angie looked at the script and realized that the next scene had only Director Hoffman in it. "Alright sir, good luck."

The senior surgeon smiled. He then faced the microphone as soon as Angie left the area to go watch what was going on in Sidney's office. He glanced over the script one more time and then began to speak.

...

"_...If you pursue this, yes you will become an unparalleled surgeon."_

Derek looked up.  
A whole new different scene was taking place.

He continued to look around hastily, trying to find the source of these voices. He was afraid that he may be going schizophrenic. However, he quickly calmed down in order to pay attention to the story the voices were telling. Somehow, it was all coming back to him.

"_...But are you prepared for the pain that would bring you? Derek, a doctor's hands are heavy with responsibility. Patients depend on us, and they place their lives in our hands. Can you imagine how heavy your hands would be with the Healing Touch?"_

Sidney watched quietly at Derek and realized that there seemed to be something going on. A little flicker of something fell from the brown-haired surgeon's face; a single tear fell from his eyes.

"_There aren't many doctors who could endure such a weight...I'm only telling you this for your own good. Forget about that power and be a normal doctor...It's the only way for you to be happy."_

"...I've tried forgetting it..." Derek murmured to himself. "The Healing... Touch..."After a long pause, he looked slightly upward. "...I... r-remember..." His vision was then engulfed in white as the first end of the spectrum of his memory loss was finally uncovered. He experienced a brief flashback of Hope Hospital just before meeting Mercer and all of the people involved. He remembered how he lost his Healing Touch and was still unable to recover it during that failed operation with Rain Delen and the Deftera.

"...I'd give up my life... my happiness... as long as I get to s-save people..." His mouth wasn't moving, but to Derek, the voice was loud and clear. It closely resembled his own voice, but it was in a more hushed tone that almost seemed like the source was moving around him like a ghost. "Without the Healing Touch... I c-can't do... it..."

"Derek, are you alright?" Greg asked worriedly. He had no clue what was going on. Derek remained silent. Assuming that their plan continued to work, he whispered the command into his earpiece to start the next scene.

...

"Tyler, Amy! It's your turn!" Angie exclaimed quietly as she dramatically signalled the two and scanned the script for scene three. However, it seems as though Derek also had a part in it.

But how would that work if Derek wasn't even allowed to know about this little production, let alone provide a voice?

"Okay, who was the dumb-ass who wrote the scripts?" Angie screamed, making sure the mute the microphones before doing so. No one responded, but Tyler became extra nervous. "Well, whoever did it, why the hell would you have Derek as one of the parts? How are we supposed to get his voice?"

"...Oh, sorry I'm late."

Suddenly, everyone turned to see a Caucasian male in his late 30's enter the room. He had a black jacket over a teal shirt and jeans on. In his hands held a script; the same one in everyone else's hands.

Tyler sighed in relief. "I'm glad you could make it, man!" he exclaimed as he walked away from the microphone and gave him a quick handshake. "I would have been screwed if you hadn't shown!" he hissed.

"Who is he and why is he here?" Angie asked with a dumbfounded look. Tyler turned on his heels and smirked.

"His name is Yuri Lowenthal and he's a really good friend of mine." Tyler explained. "His impersonation of Derek is absolutely perfect and I thought that we would need him for today, so I had him come and help out.

"Oh really?" Angie replied, a bit sceptical. "Alright, Mr. Lowenthal. Let's see what you've got."

"Right." Yuri replied. "And you can just call me Yuri." He cleared his throat and then glanced over the script for a certain part where he was supposed to play. "Let's begin the operation!" he exclaimed.

Everyone was taken aback.  
He really did sound like Derek!

"You're in!" Leslie exclaimed happily as she too took her place by the microphones. She too had a part in this scene. "You'll know it's your turn when we come to it, so good luck."

Angie carefully turned the microphones back on gradually before finally cuing the four of them in.

"Go."

* * *

"_...Hey Tyler." _

Derek looked up once again in response to the third scene beginning after a long silence. Sidney and Greg both noticed that he was look a bit wearier than before. It looks like this method was actually having an effect on the doctor.

"_How're you doing, Amy?"_

"_Not so good..."_

"_Oh, that sucks. Sorry I made you get up... Derek, this is my sister, Amy. She's been hospitalized here for two years."_

"_You mean she's been infected with GUILT?"_

"_Yeah..."_

All three men were surprised, though Sidney and Greg were forced to keep it in. This was supposed to seem as though Derek was being delusional, so they weren't allowed to respond to anything that they heard because he was the only one who was supposed to hear it. However, the two brothers were still allowed to talk amongst themselves to make it so they weren't just standing there.

"H-How did they pull that off?" Greg hissed to his younger sibling. "I swear the voice sounded exactly like..."

"_...mine."_ Derek had the same thought. _"I'm in this memory."_ He closed his eyes, allowing the pain to form this time. He suddenly felt the urge to remember; it was almost like an addicting drug. He just couldn't keep his hands off of it.

He allowed the voices to fill in the sounds of his flashback.

"_Amy's condition is the reason I came here in the first place." _

_Derek was now watching a blonde-haired surgeon speak. It was the same man whom he had encountered back at Palmwood, except in this flashback, he looked a lot different, but he was sure that he was the same person. "Amy, this is Derek Stiles. He's an old friend of mine. He's going to be treating you, so go easy on him, okay?"_

_His point of view then turned to a young girl with brown hair. "...Hee, okay." _

"...Amy... C-Chase..." Derek said to himself. "She's... _his_ sister... my _old friend's_ s-sister... She had Deftera too, but I managed to save her despite _his _desire to perform euthanasia on her. I can remember her, but why can't I remember _him _though?"

_Back in his flashback, himself and the blonde-haired surgeon walked out of the recovery ward where Amy and Leslie were and out in the lobby. The daytime Sun was shining brightly through the open windows of Caduceus. The surgeon in front of him had a sorrowful look on despite the peaceful weather and his normally cheerful disposition._

"_You must be going through a lot, Tyler..." It was him again._

"_Yeah, I guess it must be payback for what I've been doing, huh?"_

"_Huh?"_

"_...Look dude, I know you saw my paper and that letter... I've been practising euthanasia ever since I graduated. ...That's my deep dark secret..."_

"Death Doctor..." Derek found himself whispering aloud. "...Tyler..."

"_I'd heard rumours, but I never thought the death doctor could be someone like you... Why would you do that?"_

"_...One of the professors I had before we met had died of cancer. It was already too late when they found it... Professor Bonca told them that himself. All he had left to look forward to were a few weeks of suffering and painful treatments. Good people shouldn't have to go through pain like that before they die. ...So I gave him a painless death."_

"_But, that's—!" _

"...Tyler Chase..." Derek looked up to look at the two people watching him closely. They seemed to be fully aware of the voices too. "You can hear them, can't you?" he then said.

"...What are you talking about?" Sidney asked. He was worried that Derek was onto them.

"...The voices of memories." Derek stated calmly, despite the pain that streaked across his mind at the word memory. He was admitting the fact that he was beginning to remember certain things, but he didn't care. "This was all part of your plan, wasn't it?" The tone and volume of his voice escalated with each word. "Somehow, these voices describing stories of the life I apparently had are supposed to make me remember, but I can tell you now that it's not working. You see—"Derek clutched onto his head; his head was on fire. His fingertips were dipped in sweat that was immediately created. The temperatures that were once fine suddenly became a lot hotter.

Something was happening.

"Stiles...!" Greg exclaimed. He moved to help him out somehow, but Derek slapped his arm away when he moved it forward.

"Ugh... get away and leave me be!" he exclaimed angrily, trying to fight off the pain. He wriggled around in his chair, trying to find a comfortable spot, but it was useless. All he could do was pretend that it didn't hurt even though it was searing. He tried his best to stay still, but the effort caused a tear to drip from his eye.

"We're almost at his breaking point!" Sidney exclaimed. He nearly screamed it out, but quickly turned the volume of his voice down, forcing himself to swallow back his excitement. "Greg, you have to get them to move on to the last scene!"

"But he looks like he's in pain, Sidney. Shouldn't we help him first?" Greg protested.

"This might be the effects of the trigger. This may be the only chance we have to regain his memories, so tell them to move on!" Sidney then glanced solemnly at Derek. _"I'm sorry about this..."_

* * *

"Derek..." Angie whispered. Everyone in the room watched the TV being fed by the short-circuit camera located in the office. They were witnessing everything occurring in Sidney's office. "Does remembering hurt that much...?"

"Angie, we have to move on." Tyler said softly as he placed his arm gently over her shoulder. "You heard what Sidney said; this may really be our only chance of getting him to remember. I feel that we're almost there." He then turned to the crowd behind him. "We're jumping to the final scene; the one I feel should be well-suited for this."

Kenneth, Angie, and Yuri then stepped forward. These three were the only ones who were in this last event.

"I'm sure this will get Derek to remember the most important part of his forgotten life." Tyler stated as he scanned over his script once more. "Professor Blackwell, will you be okay to do this?"

"If it is to save Stiles, then yes." Kenneth replied. "I have yet to pay him back for what I've done; if this is the way to do it, then so be it." He looked to his daughter whose expression was blank. He didn't know what was running through her head, but considering the scene, he could make a pretty accurate guess. "Are you okay, Angie?"

Angie turned to her father. "Yes, Father." she replied, and then proceeded to let out a deep long sigh. "This scene even makes me feel overcome with memories of my own."

"I'm glad it turned out this way though." Kenneth replied. "If it went the way I had intended to at the time, I wouldn't be able to do this." He then moved and gave his daughter a soft kiss. "Thank you."

"We have to start now." Angie replied. "And no problem."

Yuri smiled. He didn't know any of them, but the relationship between each of the people around him were helping the man piece together the entire story.

"Let's begin." Tyler declared. He then proceeded to turn up the microphones.

"_...Professor?"_

"Aww, dammit." Derek hissed to himself when the voice reached his ears. "...There's one more..." He shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for the pain from the memory that was about to come. Then, like a speeding bullet, it came and pierced his head. The darkness that once covered his sight flashed white and engulfed his senses, once again throwing him back into the world of his forgotten self.

_He found himself in an oddly coloured laboratory known as the Eidoth Research Lab. The place was messy which was unlike the normal conditions for the place. Around him were several computers and beakers filled with liquids and specimens. Beside him was the blonde nurse who he just realized always seemed to accompany him; Angie Thompson. He and this woman must have a tight bond. Before him was another man he seemed to be in great pain; Kenneth Blackwell. _

_Angie said nothing in response. To Kenneth, it seemed as though Derek was the only one here because he was the only one he could hear. The pain completely blinded him; he could barely see._

"_Who...are you...?" The professor struggled to speak, let alone stand up and try to look at Derek in the face. _

"_I'm a doctor from Caduceus." Derek stated. "...You're going to be okay, sir. We need to operate immediately... Please don't resist."_

_To Kenneth, the idea of resisting was rather preposterous. He barely had any energy left to stay alive; with the GUILT he had implanted inside of himself, he knew that he was just on the brink of death. Even as he stood there, the Savato was draining away his life force with the webbing it had covered his entire heart with. Despite this, he stepped back. He didn't want this doctor to be interfering with the fruition of eternal peace._

"_Heh... I think you're confused." Kenneth found a piece of himself to convert to energy and let out a weak and desperate chuckle. "But... no matter... it's too late."_

"_That isn't true." Derek declared in response. His face was strict and stern and, though he knew that they just didn't have time to be chatting like this, he remained calm and patient. "We saved your colleagues and we can save you." he continued. _

"_...Yes, I was disappointed by how quickly you stopped my GUILT..." Kenneth replied. "You found ways to treat all six strains... You've definitely proven your surgical ability. But... the GUILT inside me is unlike anything you have ever seen... Now that Savato is complete, this facility means nothing... So, I'm ending it all before Delphi can... Go...! A pathetic sinner like me isn't... worth saving..."_

"...Sinner..." Derek whispered. All the information on the Sinners rushed back to him. The feelings that came along with the event came about as well, completely blinding Derek. Despite his sudden outburst of thrashing around in his seat, trying to break free of the pain, his true conscious was still locked in the flashback.

"_I'm a doctor." Derek protested sharply. "Helping people fight off disease is my job. You can worry about sin after I save your life."_

"_...None of us are allowed to die... It's exactly what he said... But that doesn't matter... I've made my choice."_

"_Why did you create GUILT?" Derek turned to find that Angie had finally spoken up. Kenneth was surprised that there was a third person in the room, though he had suspected it from the start. The voice was familiar and he recognised it immediately; he knew it was Fate who made it so she was here before him. "You threw away your reputation, your life... even your family! Why, Father?"_

"_Angie... I was afraid that was you..." Derek turned to Angie's father who had spoken in response to Angie's outburst. He was already aware of the connection between the two, so he had been expecting something like this to occur. All he could do was back off and watch for a bit; only interjecting when he dubbed it necessary. "I wanted to die... so you never find out... about this..." _

"_Just tell me why!" Angie protested angrily._

"_Angela Blackwell's father died... thirteen years ago... I'm just a ghost..." Derek noticed that throughout the course of this conversation, Kenneth's voice had been waning. His voice was a lot softer and he was breathing a lot heavier. A drop of sweat compiled on his brow and slid down until it fell off the professor's face. "Please... let me pass on..."_

"_You can't do this!" Angie exclaimed. _

"_...Is this the kind of father you WANT?" Somehow Kenneth managed to find energy to escalate his voice. Derek could tell that this was draining him. Another drop of sweat fell off his face, but as the brown-haired surgeon looked closely, he realized that this wasn't sweat this time; the professor was crying. _

"_It's my job to help people... and I do it proudly." Angie seemed to turn away, clutching onto her left arm with her right nervously. "I refuse to watch you die." she stated coldly. _

"_...As you wish..." Kenneth was close to submitting to his Fate. "But, you cannot defeat Death... it is not of this world..." Finally, he mercifully let down his guard knowing that he had depleted his entire energy resource. _

_Kenneth promptly collapsed to the ground. _

"_Begin anaesthesia." Derek said sternly. Angie placed an oxygen mask over her father's face and watched as his breathing slowed down as the medication did its work. "We'll start operating as soon as it takes effect... get ready, Angie."_

* * *

"...And in the end, our heroes Derek Stiles and Angie Thompson save the day!" Derek clamoured with an almost joyful tone. He waved his hands in the air sarcastically as he chuckled like an idiot. His head still hurt like hell and he was chained to a frikin' chair that he himself had gotten into on purpose, but who cares?

All of these "memories" were gone now.  
And he had no future to look forward to by the looks of things.

In other words, he was screwed.  
But who the hell cares?

"...Stiles?" Sidney watched the doctor confusedly along with everyone else. "What's wrong?"

Derek stopped waving his arms and looked at Sidney in the eyes with the same ugly sneer he had on back in Palmwood. There was a thick silence before he spoke. "I'll tell you what's wrong, Sidney Kasal. Just about everything!" He slammed his fists against the armrests of the chair, not even minding the pain it brought. "This_ past_ these voices have shown me; I've already lost that. I have no job and I'm likely to go to jail right after this; I've lost my future too. I've got nowhere else to go... nowhere else to look to... I'm a ghost and THAT is why I am so damn SCREWED!"

He ripped off the HOA patch on his coat and fiercely whipped it across the room. The urge to crush and destroy something violently washed over him, but he couldn't move due to the shackles buckling him down to the chair. He tried to kick out of it, but the metal was thick and he was too blinded with fury to think straight. If he weren't in mass hysteria, he would've picked the lock and been free in three seconds.

He had finally lost it.

"Derek, calm down!" Greg exclaimed. "You'll hurt yourself!" He moved in to try and calm him down, but the surgeon pulled out a scalpel he had kept hidden in his sleeve all this time.

"Stop calling me that, dammit!" Derek screamed, making a wild arm gesture while doing so. He waved the scalpel around warily as a form of self-defence. "I'm not Derek Stiles...! I just can't be the same person in these memories! I mean, I look like him, I have the same voice, but I swear I can't be HIM!"

"Then who are you?"

"I-I... I don't know!" Derek's sneer turned into a look of panic and desperation. "Just shut up! Shut up or I swear I'll murder you in your sleep!" There was a crazed gleam in his eye and the way Derek held the scalpel made it seem like he really wouldn't hesitate to stab someone right in the neck and kill them if they so much as pissed him off.

For the first time, Sidney and Greg were actually afraid for their lives.

Suddenly, Angie and Adel burst into the office after sprinting from the other room, leaving everyone behind. As soon as they saw Derek snap, they bolted down here.

Derek turned and smiled at the two. "Oh, it's Adel and Angie!" he said in the cheeriest tone Angie had ever heard. The worst part was how it actually sounded genuine. "Hey, how's it going?"

"...Sidney, what's wrong with him?" Angie asked warily as she watched the doctor pick his teeth with the scalpel.

"We must have triggered mass hysteria." Greg replied worriedly. "I'm not sure what we'll do..."

"...We'll use this to our advantage." Sidney declared. Everyone turned to him with inquiring looks and Sidney sighed. "We can interrogate him now. He wouldn't speak before, but now... like I said countless times, this may be our only chance to find out the whole truth of the matter."

"...Alright Sidney, we'll go with your plan..." Greg sighed. "We'll have to be careful though... his mood is rather unstable..." He moved to speak to Derek, but the sight of the scalpel made him hesitant. "Someone want to go first..?"

Sidney sighed. He walked up in front of Derek who was watching him with a smile. "And what would you like, sir?" Derek asked.

"... Alright Doctor..." Sidney cut himself off; calling the surgeon in front of him Derek might snap him out of this mood. "...We need you to answer a few questions for us, okay?" Derek nodded slowly. Sidney signalled for Angie, knowing that she was probably the one who would be able to get anything through to Derek.

"Umm... Doctor..." Angie said hesitantly. "...Do you remember me...?"

"Of course I do. You're Angie Thompson." replied Derek. "You're the nurse that accompanied Derek in the majority of his operations."

"Yeah... that's me..." Angie replied. She was still trying to wrap her mind around how Derek was talking about himself in the third person and how his response didn't really say anything about him remembering her. "Did the... voices... help you remember everything?"

"Well... I guess..." Derek replied. "Not everything, but yeah, I did remember some things."

"Like what?"

"When you first came to Hope, Director Hoffman, Amy Chase..." Derek paused to try and remember the last part. "...And Savato..."

"_Those are all of the scenes we did!"_ Angie thought to herself. _"So they really DID help!" _She looked up to the ceiling and pumped her arms up metaphorically in success.

"...Wait, how did you know about the voices?"

Angie turned quickly back to Derek in surprise. "What?"

"...Well, I thought I was the only one who knew about the voices." Derek replied. "Those two men over there didn't seem to be aware of them, but you weren't even in the room at the time and you know about them... how?"

"...Umm..." Angie turned to the men behind her for back-up, but they didn't know what to say. She sighed and turned back to Derek who was looking at her curiously like a little nine-year-old boy asking where babies come from. She sighed; she simply couldn't lie to him. "...The voices were part of our plan to help you remember your forgotten past. We all pitched in to voice the events."

"But then how did you play _his_ voice? It sounded rather accurate..."

"Oh, some guy named Yuri came in. You can say hi to him later."

"Alright." Derek thought for a moment, and then turned to the Kasals who were standing side-by-side, which is a rare sight to see. "You two lied to me... why?"

"...Well, I'm sorry Doctor. It was the only way we could keep the illusion up and have our plan work." Sidney replied bluntly. Greg was about to interject and try to make it sound a bit more friendly, but sighed and gave up before even trying.

With the words, Derek's expression shifted from a content mood to a rather sad a mournful state; the equivalent to what he feels like right after operations that involved him using his Healing Touch.

"Next question..." Adel stated, completely ignoring Derek's change in mood. He then stepped forward, allowing Angie to relax for a bit; being put on the spotlight like that was rather stressful. Greg had suggested this question to him just before he stepped forward. "...What do you remember about Adam?"

"...Adam..." Just the name alone took Derek back in time. He remembered the siege of the Delphi base in the middle of the ocean. Feelings of anger and disgust came over him. "Sinners... how could he?" He then looked to Adel in remorselessly. "Yeah, I remember that bastard. He kidnapped children, and then implanted GUILT into them and used them as incubation."

Despite his angry fist clenching, Derek found himself involuntarily tightening the grip. The once unbearable pain instantly grew till it was twice the amount it was previously. The thoughts of Adam instantly brought with it memories that it was connected to like the entire GUILT war he fought off.

The trigger was humungous.

He shut his eyes tightly and before his eyes flashed various memories that seemed to just crash right into him all at once.

...

_He suddenly found himself in an operating room. Everything was monotonous and those assisting him all had masks on; he couldn't even see their faces. He was just finishing suturing the entry wound on the third patient when suddenly another person bursts in with the grave news. She, along with another person, wheels in the final patient in the string of continuous patients, insisting that Derek save him._

_A steady hum filled the room. _

"_Dammit, what's happening to the patient?" Derek cried out. _

"_Doctor, his vitals are critical!" the woman who burst in screamed. The world around him was suddenly blurred. He could see nothing else but the patient who was dying right before him. The only sounds he could hear were her voice, his own thundering heartbeat, and the droning of the flat-lining ECG._

"_I-I don't know what to do!" Derek exclaimed. He was very confused in the situation. After all, he had JUST landed here in the middle of the chaos. "I—"_

"_The patient is undergoing cardiac arrest!" the woman stated hectically, only adding to the building stress in Derek. _

"_Get the defibrillator!" Derek finally declared. Someone brought him the paddles. Derek applied the gel onto the paddles and placed the pads on the patient. "Alright, charge it to 200!" he bellowed. The hum of the machine went right in harmony with the flatline. "Clear!"_

_The body jumped up with the shock.  
But there was no response in the ECG._

"_We've got no pulse!" the nurse exclaimed. _

"_Quick, charge it to 300!" Derek yelled back. His eyes were teary now. "Clear!"_

"_There's still no response!"_

"_360 now!" The whining of the machines around him along with the nurse's bickering all began to ultimately blend together until it was all just one sound to Derek. "Clear!" he screamed desperately. "Come back, dammit!"_

"_...I'm sorry..." The girl sighed in defeat. She, along with everyone, had already called it in. _

"_Let's try it again!" Derek refused to give up on the patient. "Clear!" Unfortunately, there was still no response whatsoever. _

"_Doctor! Stop it already!" the nurse cried out in panic. "It's been 10 minutes since he began to flatline! Give it up already! Let him leave in peace!"_

"_No way! I'm not giving up on you!" Derek protested. "I will save you!" He pressed the paddles against the patient for the umpteenth time. "Clear!"_

"_Doctor!" This time, the woman grabbed Derek's arms and pulled them behind the surgeon's back against his will. In the struggle, Derek ended up dropping the paddles on the ground. "Stop it, Derek!" she screamed. "...There's nothing we can do from here..."_

"_NO!" the brown-haired surgeon screamed hoarsely. It has now been fifteen minutes since the patient began flat-lining. "My Healing Touch—" He tried his best to get out of the nurse's grip, but it was futile._

"_Dr. Stiles!" _

"_I won't believe it!" He was in a flurry of tears and his attempt to break free had weakened significantly. As his body came to the realization that it really was too late, the thought consumed all of his energy; even the energy produced from the adrenaline now coursing through his veins. _

"_Dr. Stiles..." The nurse let go of the surgeon. Derek slumped over the patient, and then began to pound on his chest a few times in a desperate attempt to revive him, though it was pointless. He stopped after three tries and sobbed. He had to hold onto the gurney to support himself; his legs forgot how to hold him up. "...It's all over..."_

"_EMILIO!"_

* * *

"GAAAH!" Derek screamed out as the tremendous feelings broke out of his flashback and into reality. He began to sob; waterfalls were instantly formed in his eyes. "NOOOOO!" he roared out. The pain almost felt as though it engulfed him; it manifested everywhere.

The memories of his ultimate defeat; Emilio.  
That was the final nail to the coffin.

The memory lock was shattered.  
The GUILT was free.

"Dr. Stiles!" the four of them screamed in unison. They ran to his side; all that pain allowed enough energy to break through the thick metal shackles through brute force. Derek had fallen to the ground, dropping the scalpel as well. He was struggling to breathe; the pain was too much, yet it wouldn't let him mercifully enter the realm of unconsciousness.

But as soon as the memory lock shattered, everything to him flashed white.  
And for a few moments, Derek Stiles ceased to exist.

...

The screaming suddenly stopped and there was a thick and powerful silence. No one dared moved, afraid that a single movement might trigger an apocalypse.

Finally, Sidney built up the courage to defy everything. "Stiles!" he exclaimed. He moved to check his pulse, assuming that he suffered a heart attack and was in desperate need of resuscitation. His fingers pressed down on the side of his neck, causing Derek's body to twitch. Sidney sighed as soon as he found a pulse, but the relief didn't last too long.

The surgeon began to move until he was sitting up on the floor, his eyes closed, laughing.

"Hehe..." The laugh sounded a lot deeper than usual.

"...Derek?" Angie asked sceptically. "...Are you okay?"

"...Why wouldn't I be?" the surgeon replied. "The gift of Bliss has finally come to fruition. Finally, I accomplish something no other man has done!"

Adel was the only one in the room who had never heard of the term _Bliss_. Everyone else was in shock after hearing what Derek had just said, mainly because they comprehended the full power of the term. "What is he talking about?" Adel asked. "What's Bliss?"

"...It's the eighth GUILT." Angie hissed back as she turned to face the Costigese surgeon. It was hard for her to take her attention away from Derek, even though every part of her body was glad that she turned away because it gave her a chance to pray that what she had just witnessed was all but a crazed fantasy. "It was one of Adam's prophecies for GUILT."

"So why is Derek mentioning it?"

"...I'm not sure." Angie replied. She finally turned to face Derek once more. "What are you talking about, Derek? Bliss isn't real!"

Derek gave her a dark glare. Angie noticed that his eyes seemed dull, lifeless, and almost seemed as though they were sinking into his face. His skin was a lot paler than usual. If he weren't moving, Angie could almost mistake him for a dead person. "Of course Bliss exists." He growled darkly. "As long as Life and Death exists, so will Bliss. It is only today does it arrive before humans."

"What nonsense are spewing out, Stiles?" Greg exclaimed.

"What I mean is that I am its avatar; the embodiment of Bliss!" he replied. "The Healing Touch... a gift from Asclepius... bah! GUILT gave me more and all throughout that time, it has never retaliated."

"What are you saying...? You have... GUILT...?" Angie thought about how this new piece fit in to this entire story. "...That would be the final piece of the puzzle..."

"That would explain his strange behaviour; especially now." Greg stated. "Right now, the GUILT in him is doing the talking. That's, in no way, Derek."

"He never was this entire time..." Sidney retorted.

"Ha! Now you see!" the surgeon scoffed. "Of course I can't be your innocent little Derek Stiles; master of surgery and overall nice guy."

"So is your name... Derek Stiles?" Sidney asked. "...Or Daemon...?"

The brown-haired surgeon rolled his eyes. He had thought that they had understood the concept by now. "...No." The surgeon gave them all a wide grin. "Derek Stiles is dead. Daemon never existed. My name is Evdaimonia."

All those watching were shocked. They have heard of GUILT manipulating other people's thoughts and actions, but this is the first case where the GUILT had its own personality and was actually talking. The GUILT, Evdaimonia, had full control.

"What did you do to him?" Angie exclaimed angrily.

"I gave him everything he wanted, that's all." Evdaimonia explained. "He wanted the Healing Touch and save lives again; I gave his ability back to him with three times its capable power. He wanted to forget his painful past; I repressed his memories for as long as I could. I enhanced his physical and mental capacities and gave him a life of luxury... everything a human could ever want." The GUILT paused for a moment. "And in return, he gave me a home. He loved me and I loved him back because we knew that we would be together forever."

"What? There's no way that Derek would _love_ GUILT!" Angie protested. If the GUILT weren't wearing Derek's face, Angie wouldn't hesitate to brutally murder him right now. "You must've manipulated his feelings in some way!"

Suddenly, Angie was on the ground after being brutally kicked down by Evdaimonia. The GUILT had used the Healing Touch to slow down time and do what was needed before cancelling it out once the deed was done.

"Don't mess with me, Thompson." the GUILT growled.

"...Evdaimonia, please continue..." Sidney interjected. His twin brother bent down and helped Angie up, explaining that Sidney was simply trying to get more information.

"Thank you for taking interest."

Evdaimonia paused for a moment, and then abruptly became rather upset. "...But then I could tell that inside, he was longing for something I couldn't give him. The feeling came up every single time that doctor and nurse were together. Then, when we went to Palmwood and met up with you fools, the memories began to fight to break free from the lock I had created on them. The pain you all brought to him by trying to make him remember; he soon found himself wishing for death." Evdaimonia then made a large sneer. "...And I gave him that too."

"No!" Angie screamed. "There's no way in hell that Derek could be dead!"

"And yet, here we are." Evdaimonia replied casually. "In return of his death, I was able to finally take the reins like I was destined to do. I, Bliss, have finally come to light."

"No, that can't be!" everyone exclaimed.

"Why do you even want that poor fool back anyway?" Evdaimonia asked. "I mean, even without me, he can't even save live anymore and he's a threat to society otherwise. He wanted to forget all of you too... and let's not forget that he abandoned you all on his own accord... even before I met him." The GUILT-possessed surgeon placed one of his hands into a pocket and sifted through until he found Derek's glasses. He then placed them on and shifted them by the bridge in a manner where the light bounced off the lens, making it hard to see his eyes. "I mean, wouldn't I make a better Derek?" Evdaimonia joked. "I will save this patient!" He stretched his hand out in the same way Derek would.

"You bastard!" Angie exclaimed. She began crying after watching Evdaimonia mock her beloved friend. "We don't need you here!" she screamed, tears flowing freely from her eyes. "Derek's our friend; you're nothing but a wannabe... a sequel. And we all know that sequels are never as good as the original."

"Bring Dr. Stiles back!" Adel replied.

"Yeah!" Everyone else insisted.

"Why, you are all such kind people!" Evdaimonia chortled sarcastically. "It's a wonder why Derek wanted to forget about you!" After seeing the four people before him stop moving in response to what he said, he began to laugh hysterically, having to clutch onto his stomach because the laughing fit was huge.

Out of nowhere, the laughing fit stopped.  
It was abruptly cut to an end due to a sharp pain around the magnitude of the ones Derek received when he was about to remember something. The surprise attack knocked Evdaimonia to the ground.

...

_Evdaimonia's vision blacked out and before him stood flashing images of a man that looked familiar. The man was around his late 20's with a white coat that had the Caduceus emblem standing out. The black shirt and pants wrapped around his fit body. He had soft brown hair and healthy peach skin. His glasses sharpened the contrast of his chestnut eyes, which looked stern._

"_I...never wanted... to forget..." the man stated softly._

"_What?" Evdaimonia was suddenly in a panic with the sight of the man. "But I thought— I thought I finished you off! "_

"_We're... in symbiosis..." the man replied. "...The only way... for you to kill me... is if you kill... yourself..."_

"_There's no way!" Evdaimonia screamed. "I thought I severed the bond enough!" _

"_Unfortunately... that's impossible." The man then stepped forward and grabbed onto Evdaimonia's collar aggressively. "...Now give me my life back!" The man punched Evdaimonia right across the face, then drop-kicked him just to make sure that he was completely knocked out. He then allowed the light of life to engulf him..._

...

They were surprised by the odd pause Evdaimonia had taken, only to be broken by his screaming. However, the voice wasn't as deep as before.

"...You... guys...!"

"Derek?" Angie screamed. She quickly noted that the voice had reverted back to its original tone. She looked at the pained surgeon before her. He was struggling to stay in the same hellish state he was in because it was the only way he could retain his life and consciousness.

"This is your chance! You have to operate on me now!" Derek yelled. "Save me... before... Evdaimonia comes back! I can't hold him back for too long!" He clutched onto his head in pain and continued to wriggle. Angie and Adel then stepped forward and pulled Derek's arms away and forced him to lay flat on the ground against his will. Derek tried his best to co-operate, but instinct had taken over a while ago and it was hard to revert back.

Suddenly, Tyler and Leslie burst into the room, wheeling in a gurney. "Place him here!" Tyler exclaimed. All four lifted the pained surgeon off the ground and onto the bed. Leslie immediately placed an oxygen mask over Derek's face, causing him to instantly calm down as the anaesthesia took effect.

"Dr. Stiles..." Angie whispered in her mind. She knew he was still fighting and she had to do everything in her power to support him through to the end. She watched as Derek's eyes closed to a peaceful state, not knowing that this was all his conscious doing too. They all sprinted down the halls together and barged into a vacant OR where they knew that they had to start now or watch Bliss come to fruition for good.

"We have no choice but to save him now!" Tyler exclaimed.

"I agree completely. " Sidney replied. "Get Victor on the case now! Angie, begin prepping! We will need to succeed... or face losing Derek Stiles forever!"

The true battle finally begins.

* * *

A/N: Oh geez... 14 000 words... and that's BEFORE the editing stage! Awesome, this is officially the longest chapter I've ever written! So is this climax part deux? In my book, "Bliss" is not the name of a GUILT strand but rather a GUILT condition where the strand has completely corrupted the host's brain (like in Adam and I guess Derek in this story). Anyways, so it's obvious that next chapter is going to be pretty short considering that all there is to look forward is surgery... it's a shame that I suck at describing said surgeries, so just telling you guys ahead of time...

And for those of you who didn't know (*DOUBLE GASP*), Yuri Lowenthal is the American voice actor for Derek Stiles in the games, so that's why he OBVIOUSLY has the same voice as our beloved brown-haired surgeon (he also happens to voice Ben in Ben Ten, Suzaku in Code Geass, and a bunch of other characters too... my fav VA fo' shoor).

And I apologize for using quotes directly from the games and not changing it up by too much; unfortunately, I used up all of my creative juices a long time ago. LOL . I'm a witness to someone who has experienced mass hysteria... VERY touchy mood swings and referring to oneself in the third person are just a couple of the many aspects and symptoms of it; I swear it was freaky... o_0

So yeah, I hope you enjoyed!  
One more chapter! Then the epilogue! =)

**Me**: Oh yeah, and in case you never knew, "Evdaimonia" is the Greek word for Bliss. All of the GUILT names used in Second Opinion/Under the Knife were based on the Greek days of the week (Kyriaki = Sunday, etc.) so I decided to stick to the base language.  
**Derek**: I never knew you were Greek.  
**Me**: I'm not. I just have the power of Google Translate. =P

...

**Angie: **Wow Tyler. I never knew you were such a brilliant scriptwriter! How did you get this? I swear you weren't even present when these events took place, yet you have everything down to the point... except you made me look a bit naggy.**  
Kenneth: **And wasn't too fond with how you made me seem like a bad guy in here too...**  
Tyler: **That's business, my friends... we have to make it feel as dramatic and outstanding as possible to help Derek remember!  
**Angie: **I don't think we'll need the script anymore though... we have to operate!  
**Tyler: **Yeah, yeah... *tosses out script in trash*

_A few moments later..._

**ATLUS employee: **Oh hey, what's this...? *browses through script found in trash* Hey, these are pretty neat ideas! This would be a brilliant idea for a video game! I'll name it... "Trauma Center"! *walks away contently*

**^  
|** ...And that is how Trauma Center was born.


	12. Final Showdown

**Disclaimer: **Anything you recognise belongs to their respective owners and yadda yadda.

A/N: SQUEEEEEEEE! This is the FINAL chapter before the epilogue! How long have you guys been waiting for this final conclusion? Me? Umm... like seven months maybe (remember... planning takes time!) This story is officially over 100 000 words! YEASH, one 2011 resolution to scratch off! Sorry for the longest wait ever, but my laptop broke in the car crash I had over the Spring Break.

By the way, the entire chapter is about the drama of THE single important operation that can rock the destinies of all those characters entwined in its grasp *dramatic pause*... I was NEVER good at writing about operations, but I'll try to make it as magnificently detailed as I can. Besides, fictional diseases are a LOT easier to write about than something real! I mean, you have NO CLUE what it looks like... gawsh more work.

And if you don't plan on enjoying like usual, then leave.  
But leave a review first...! =3

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Final Showdown

"Angie, what's his status?" Sidney demanded amidst the commotion happening all around him. The news of what had happened to Derek Stiles had spread like a wildfire all across Caduceus. Along with trying to avoid the news from reaching outside the boundaries of the medical facility, Sidney had to deal with those employees who insisted that they somehow assist in the operation, the endless questions from others who had heard the news, the people who were trying to get to Derek to see the face of the surgeon who had "come back from the dead", and a lot of other issues.

He was forced to jam all cell phones and methods of communication to the outside world and had a chair in his hand ready to prod away those who were trying to get near Derek in the gurney. Though he knew that some of these people had good intentions in mind, Sidney mercilessly attacked them with the chair legs, sometimes even resorting to prod in sensitive areas such as the groin and eyes.

However, he knew that this was not the time to complain. Despite the fact that this workload was simply his massive normal amount increased tenfold, what he had to deal with was nothing compared to the others who had the life of the medical field's national treasure's life in their hands.

"His vital signs are telling me that there's no hope for him!" Angie screamed back across the crowd. Somehow, her voice managed to reach the Chief of Caduceus's ears while avoiding the raging crowd around him as they made their way down to the operating rooms. "But they've been telling me that for the past ten minutes. Somehow, Derek is still holding on!"

"That means that we can't let him down now!" Adel exclaimed. Angie hardly noticed that the Costigese surgeon had left the group surrounding Derek to change into his scrubs. Adel quickly placed his mask on and stretched out his rubbed gloves so they were firmly around his hands. He flexed his fingers and then clenched them tightly. "No matter what anyone says, I will be the one to operate." Adel declared with a voice the screamed determination.

"Very well, Adel." Sidney replied with a nod. "Derek's life is in your hands."

Soon, the small group handling the surgeon's stretcher entered the closest OR they could find. The crowd didn't dare try and enter the room knowing that despite their good intentions; entering it would disrupt the organization needed there. The smart portion of the spectators charged into the observation deck before locking it to prevent any more from entering in.

Tyler and Leslie moved out of the way as Greg and Victor helped place Derek onto the operating table. Unexpectedly, another two pairs of hands assisted the body onto the flat metal surface. Everyone snapped out of their train of thought and realized that before them stood Timothy Grey and Mira Sakami all ready to operate.

"I don't care WHAT you say." Timothy stated with the same cocky look that brimmed with confidence. "But I'm saving Dr. Sadahiro. I still have yet to repay him for everything he has done for me."

"And I'll be assisting." Mira declared.

The pair then silently glanced over to Angie and Adel and realized that those two had already intended to operate on Derek as well. Timothy then burst out laughing. "Of course we can all work together!" Timothy chuckled. "I didn't say Mira and I would be able to do it on our own, did I?" He then stopped laughing and looked at the two with a serious look on. "And besides, you two also understand that you won't be able to save him on your own as well." he said coolly.

"We all have our reasons to take part in this." Adel replied. "But we four have the biggest reasons of all. This man has changed us four the most out of anyone. This is why I am okay with collaborating." Adel then began to rearrange the position of everyone. Fortunately, the operating room was large enough that it allowed everyone with enough space to manoeuvre around. Soon, Adel and Angie were to the bottom right facing the chest while Timothy and Mira were to the upper left of the table to focus on the head. Everyone else was to the edges of the room.

"Why are we in these positions?" Mira asked.

"Do you remember where Derek had been experiencing pain?" Adel explained. "He mainly clutched onto his head which has led me to assume that the GUILT was residing around his brain. The Chiral reaction was all over the place and I couldn't pinpoint a specific spot. Frankly, the Chiron meter made it seem as though Derek were some human-sized GUILT strand."

"Then why are you two facing the chest?" Tyler asked before Timothy had a chance to speak. He too was interested in discovering the reasons behind Adel's plan.

Victor and Angie looked wide-eyed as soon as they managed to figure it out. They looked to the scar that remained over Derek's heart when he previously had GUILT. Naomi had done an excellent job with the closing suturing, but a scar still remained and continued to stand out against Derek's skin. "So you believe..."

"Yes, I believe that there may be some recurring PGS symptoms that may arise as soon as we open him up." Adel continued. "And that is why we will be conducting two simultaneous operations. You two will work on his brain where my guess is where the GUILT is residing while we combat the PGS."

"Are you sure that something as risky as this is even possible, Tulba?" Sidney exclaimed with much concern. "I mean, opening him up in two different places at the same time... that kind of pressure on Derek's body could throw him into shock and could kill him the moment he is opened. This is especially concerning considering that these two areas are the heart and brain."

"Yes, this is true." Adel replied. "But remember the ability enhancement drug and its effects. Timothy, you told us that he too had taken it."

"Yes, that is correct." Timothy replied. "But what does that have to do with all this?"

"Well, think about it like this. What came first: Dr. Stiles being implanted with GUILT or him receiving the enhancement drug?" Adel closed his eyes and thought his answer through. He flashed back to the records that Timothy had taken note of and knew that his conclusion should be correct.

"If the Foaly Method is when he is suspected of receiving the GUILT, then that came first." Timothy answered. He thought about it, and then gasped. "Oh, so you're saying that it could be possible that the enhancement drug didn't simply enhance his body but the GUILT's as well?"

"Precisely." Adel replied. "This means that this mutation of Neo-GUILT is far beyond anything we have seen. At the same time, Derek's body strength, though waning, should be much more powerful than that of a normal person, which is probably why despite what the vitals keep screaming at us that he's on the brink of death, he is still holding on. I suggest we worry about him making it through AFTER we remove the GUILT along with its enhancements to his physical limits."

"I'm still sceptical about your theory, Tulba." Victor started. "But all I can do is hope you're right and that he'll make it through. This is against everything I know; I usually prefer having information to back something up." He looked to Derek who seemed deathly pale. "But we have to start as soon as possible."

"Don't worry about that till afterwards." Adel reminded him. "And besides, Dr. Grey and I; together we're unbeatable." He turned to face the former HOA doctor. "Am I right?"

"You said it!" Timothy replied enthusiastically. "So we should probably begin while Dr. Stiles still has his fighting spirit." He looked to his mentor. "We won't let you down."

"Alright, so let us begin." Timothy picked up the bone drill while Adel received a scalpel from Angie. Everyone seemed to brace for the sound of the flat tone that could start being heard at any second from the cardiogram, but the two opened the two parts of the doctor successfully. There was only a slight jump in the line, but otherwise, the vitals remained in the same low status as they were coming into the operation.

It took a little while longer for Timothy to get a view of the brain, but eventually after peeling open layers of flesh and holding them down with special metal wires, he made it there. At the sight of Derek's brain, Timothy could only look away disappointedly.

"Is that... no..."

Everyone focused on the slightly brownish-greyish bulge in the center of the grey mass which held Derek's life. That specific bulge seemed to secrete a tar-like liquid and web-like black veins seemed to spread across the nerve paths and connected back to the bulge.

The bulge pulsed once and caused the HOA doctor to flinch a bit at the sight, but he calmed himself down. He knew that he would need to put his feelings for the situation aside and deal with this as soon as possible. "Is this... Evdaimonia?" Timothy asked hesitantly. This was the name everyone silently agreed on naming Derek's GUILT strand.

He looked up to Adel who reluctantly looked away from his part of Derek and towards the doctor as though on cue. From the looks of things, the nervousness was affecting the Costigese surgeon more than him, but there seemed to be something more. A flicker of fear flashed through Adel's maroon eyes.

"No." he simply stated. "No, what you're looking at cannot be the GUILT because..." His eyes gestured back towards his operation field. "...Because what I am looking at is positively Evdaimonia."

Timothy glanced at Derek's heart and realized that, despite having to work on the most delicate organ of the human body; Adel would have the hardest time. Wrapped around the darkened heart muscle rested a little black and purple dragon.

Evdaimonia.

As though on cue, the little dragon flicked its tail up and consciously created a large laceration in the heart, dipping the vitals into the single digits in an instant.

And it did it without even so much as trying.

"D-Damn..." Adel hissed as he jammed two doses of stabilizer into Derek's skin. The green fluid calmed the tone of the flesh for an instant before it returned to its pale colour. The medication did its manufactured effect as his vitals raised enough to return to the same location they had been before the laceration was made. In time, Adel also managed to suture up the large laceration by gently folding one flap over the other using the forceps and suturing it closed. He then turned to Timothy who was still staring. "You should do your part. Just leave this to me."

"But how are you supposed to beat it?"

"Just trust me!"

"R-Right!"

Timothy then slowly made his way back to the opening into the brain that he had left in order to operate. Adel watched him carefully to see if he would make any excuse to come back to help, but none came. Instead, he reluctantly turned back to face Evdaimonia.

* * *

Timothy and Mira looked carefully at their opponent. If it wasn't the GUILT strand, then what could it be? They watched as strange yellowish pigments coursed through the web and made their way to the middle where they instantly vanished. The yellow pigments seemed to be timed with the electric currents in Derek's brain.

"Dr. Grey." Timothy turned around to find that Victor was gesturing to him for his attention. The purple-haired researcher was examining his surroundings very carefully, but he was much more focussed on the webbing that was lathered messily over the brain.

"...Yes?"

"I believe that what you are looking at was the 'memory lock'."

"You're kidding..." Timothy looked back at the webbing with new consideration. He noticed that it really did seem possible that Victor was right. However, the memory lock seemed to be in disarray. There were several pathways that were shattered or spliced. Others led to a dead end or back to the bulge. Yellow pigments which were supposed to have disappeared permanently came back to life from the center, the deletion core, and return to the brain. All of these mistakes could have been what caused Derek's memories to return gradually.

"Dr. Niguel... how do you suggest we rid Dr. Stiles of this plague?" Mira asked quietly. Victor paused causing a perpetual silence which hung in the room like an axe over a prisoner's head.

"I suggest that you do your best to cut the webbing." Victor finally declared. "I presume you have studied the treatment for the Savato strand back at the Hands of Asclepius." He slurred the title out with a dark undertone anyone would have to be deaf to mistake; his anger for what that corrupt group had done to the world had yet to fade off.

Timothy took the time to think about it as Mira injected a bit of stabilizer when she noticed the sudden lack in vitals. Their partner team working on Derek's heart let out a sigh of relief when she did that and exclaimed happily about her good timing causing her to smile and turn her attention back to Dr. Grey and the researcher.

"Oh, you mean the webbing that absorbs the vitals!" Timothy's mind jumped back to that time when Derek had operated on a Savato victim and activated the Healing Touch the HOA developed for him for the first time which allowed him to save the poor person. If it hadn't been for that coincidental operation, he would probably have no other information to work with. Even under the GUILT enhancement and the guise of a studious trainee, Timothy was never the most adept student. "Yes, you have to sever it with the scalpel and then get another scalpel because the webbing is acidic enough to melt the metal—"

"—Yeah, yeah, we got it. You'd think we all knew by now how to deal with that spider." Victor drawled. "My suggestion is to try and sever the webbing the same way you do with Savato webbing—"

Timothy grabbed the scalpel and moved in. He probably would have made the first cut if it weren't for Victor instinctively grabbing his arm.

"—H-hey whaaat?" Timothy protested. "What do you want? I'm doing what you told me to do!"

"Well, I didn't finish!" Victor sarcastically whined back. "Just don't hit any areas that have the yellow pigment. My guess is that those pigment spots signify the location of Derek's memories and I don't think anyone would enjoy it if he went through another memory loss arc."

"Oh... alright." Timothy replied. Victor let go of his tight grip and Timothy rubbed his wrists to remove some of the pain he received from the researcher's tight fingers before finally making his first incision. Fortunately, it worked easily; as soon as the strand was severed, it, in a way, self-destructed and dealt with itself. Timothy did the same with another two before smiling at himself because of how easy this would be.

And of course, Evdaimonia would never allow that.

The bulge in the middle pulsed and from it came an outburst of inflammations, pools of pus and blood, lacerations, and toxicosis. Timothy ignored it for a little bit; Mira injected more stabilizer into Derek's cheek and wiped bits of sweat that began to form on Timothy's brow. Timothy continued to cut the webbing hoping that if he accomplished this, it would somehow all stop.

However...

"Dr. Grey, the affected area is somehow growing!" Mira exclaimed in surprise. Timothy glanced at the bulge and realized that it didn't stop pulsing. More lacerations and pools of pus and blood continued to form around the brain. One laceration caused part of the webbing to sever, but that webbing at the time had a yellow pigment.

"Oh sh—...!" Timothy stopped himself from screaming the curse word through the OR as his mentor's vitals dipped to less than 1 before being miraculously saved by Angie and Mira's combined efforts to save Derek by injecting massive amounts of stabilizer.

"What the hell are you doing there, Dr. Grey?" Adel cried out. "Fix that damn thing up NOW!"

"Y-Yes, Dr. Tulba!" Dr. Grey proclaimed as he grabbed the sutures from the tray and began to lightly suture the lacerations that had formed. Mira drained the pools of pus and blood before they covered the entire brain with one hand and injected more stabilizer with the other.

"Angie, can you inject some of the toxicosis serum here?" Mira called out to the nurse who was trying to keep up on the instruments Adel needed to deal with Death.

"Understood!" Angie exclaimed as she switched places with the toxicosis serum ready in the syringe in her hand. Making sure to take her time, Angie injected the medicine. Immediately afterwards, the brain and parts of Derek's face took on a more natural colour. Mira thanked the blonde nurse and Angie replied with a simple nod before getting back to her position by Adel's side.

"Dr. Grey, I suggest trying to rub that bulge with antibiotic gel once it tries to burst like that." Victor informed him flatly. "In my opinion, the memory lock reacted that way due to you tampering with the webbing. It released all of that damage because it is over-heating. I believe that it may explode any minute now."

"That's nice to know." Timothy smirked. "But I'll give it a shot." Mira handed him the antibiotic gel and took his place and began to sever more of the strange, tar-like webbing. Timothy dragged his finger through the cool, green gel and smudged it over the bulge. The bulge was abnormally warm, just like Victor had predicted. Under his touch, Timothy could actually feel it cooling down to the point where it even stopped pulsing.

"Okay, new procedure!" Timothy declared. "Continue to sever the webbing using the scalpel while watching for the yellow pigments but make sure to pay attention to the bulge. We must prevent it from exploding by lathering it with antibiotic gel to it and cooling it down. Of course, we must drain the tar and deal with the inflicted areas afterwards."

"Understood, Doctor!" Mira replied.

* * *

Adel and Angie, on the other hand, were not just dealing with a super-GUILT strand, but with Derek's recurring PGS symptoms as well. As it turns out, Adel's prediction was correct. Having had Paraskevi and Kyriaki previously, Derek's heart was suddenly popping up with massive lacerations from areas that weren't as properly sutured as they should have been. Adel was having a hard time keeping up. He had thought of Derek's surgeon as a genius, but he supposed that even she struggled to perform her very best.

"Grab me both the antibiotic gel and the drain." Adel strictly commanded. Angie complied by immediately handing him these items while at the same time signalling Tyler to go grab more stabilizer for them. Adel drained another one of the bizarre tumours the GUILT strand formed while at the same time throwing antibiotic gel in its tracks to slow it down.

"Dr. Tulba, I just realized something..." Angie whispered in a voice of a child in the darkness. "This GUILT's movements... I feel as though I've seen it somewhere..."

"What?"

Angie pulled out the top that she had been keeping this entire time. All along, the answer was right in front of them, but their disbelief in the facts denied them of figuring it all out. "The GUILT's movements match this top." she declared with slightly more confidence than previously. "Its main attacks consist of..." She flashed the top to Adel who had stopped working for a bit in order to pay attention. "the Nous tumours..." She flipped it upside-down. "And Sige's speed all the while it tears tissue apart with its sharp bottom."

"How the hell did you get a hold of something like that?" Adel cried out stubbornly.

"I told you! Dr. Stiles gave it to me...!"

Adel paused for a moment. He quickly realized that he had seen that toy from before. "Hmm... I suppose I'm stuck believing you then, Nurse Thompson." he murmured. "I apologize for disregarding your theories previously."

"Oh... no, it's fine." Angie replied. "Besides, if I were in your position, I would have ignored myself before."

"So I think you should take that top for a spin, Angie."

"Right." The blonde nurse put it on the launcher; making sure that it would stay still by listening for the audible click. She then began to twist the top to wind it up before pressing the button on the almost drain look-alike mechanism. The top fell to the ground and began to spin at a remarkable speed.

Suddenly, the top shifted left.  
Evdaimonia bent its wings slightly and did the same.

The top made a scratch on the ground.  
Evdaimonia used its sharp talons and made a laceration that Adel quickly sutured up.

The top stayed in one place.  
Evdaimonia took the time to lay a dragon egg; a tumour.

* * *

Adel did his best to catch up with all of these attacks and eventually, he realized, Evdaimonia was actually beginning to slow down. He caught up to it with more antibiotic gel which seemed to do damage to it every time he found the chance to do so. The GUILT strand angrily thrust its claws down and made another curving laceration that traced its trajectory. However, Adel was prepared and already had the sutures in hand when it did so. He quickly sutured it up to the best of his ability.

It was simple.  
He just had to follow the top's movements as they seem to dictate the GUILT strand's movements three seconds prior to doing so.

Adel watched the top approach its natural stop. It, like the GUILT strand, had slowed down considerably. It began to spin in a perfect circle and as it gradually slowed down, the circle's circumference began to close in on itself. Eventually, it stopped in the middle of that circle it had formed.

Then it came apart in half.

"A-Angie, what does that mean...?" Adel stuttered.

Angie, who was aware that Adel had been following the top's movements to predict Evdaimonia's movements, was shocked to see the result as well. "I... I-I'm not exactly sure..." she murmured. "I think after all this war and struggle; you finally managed to beat it."

Everyone aside from Timothy and Mira who were still busy dealing with the bizarre memory lock in Derek's brain, could only watch with a sick fascination as to what would happen. Evdaimonia too began to create that wide circle around Derek's heart where it continued to spin and spin, slower and slower...

It finally stopped in the middle.  
And started pulsing.

"Tulba, use the scalpel on it now!" Victor yelled out. "I think it's trying to regenerate!"

Angie handed him the scalpel immediately and Adel cut it on an off-beat. However, it seemed to almost have no effect and only caused Derek's heart rate to speed up immensely. Evdaimonia's pulsing also seemed to do the same. Adel tried again, still making sure to avoid hitting it when it was pulsed. Evdaimonia faltered slightly and it pulsed in a manner that caused Derek's heart to undergo ventricle fibrillation.

Angie, using a glare, silently told Adel to not do anything and pray that the fibrillation would stop and they could continue one.  
Adel paused for what almost seemed like an eternity, gripping onto the scalpel as though letting it go would mean the end of the world.

Evdaimonia screeched silently.  
It stopped pulsing.

Everything following this seemed almost as though time had slowed down for the four people desperately trying to save Derek's life.

"Oh shiiiii-" Victor let the curse word hang in his mouth before he screamed, "Sidney, get the defibrillator now! This is the one that isn't working!"

"Are you serious—" Sidney didn't even bother wasting time to wait for an answer as he bolted out of the door and down the hallway to the supplies room. There was still a crowd waiting outside and he was forced to cut through it, a difficult process that required him to fight his way through with a series of hard knuckle punches to the faces of innocent bystanders.

A high-pitched scream blared from the vital monitors.  
Derek's vitals had finally dropped to zero.

"Noooo, Derek!" Angie screamed. She grabbed the scalpel in Adel's hand and was about to stab Evdaimonia in sheer anger when Adel managed to push her down. The scalpel slipped out of her hand and into Adel's palm.

"Don't do that!" Adel shouted. "Get some stabilizer!"  
Angie did just that and managed to save Derek's life for a few more seconds.

"Damn, this thing's about to blow!" Timothy cried out in horror. As soon as the vitals had dropped, the bulge that he was preventing from exploding had heated up quite considerably and it had grown three times in size. He tried to put more antibiotic gel on it, but he couldn't because a flesh-eating acid had cloaked it

"Oh damn!" Adel watched as Evdaimonia's final stand took place. It had gotten up and created five large lacerations in the form of a star, almost as though mocking them, with the Nous tumours at every corner of the abomination. Blood pools formed instantly on the dying heart.

"What the hell are we going to do now?" Mira screamed.

"Derek!" Tyler called out while bolting in with a new pack of stabilizer in his hand. "Don't die!" Unfortunately, he tripped over the top still on the floor and 90% of the supply had been eliminated in the accident.

Time seemed to just stop afterwards.

As soon as all the despair of the world had come around him, it happened.  
A certain brown-haired surgeon woke up.

* * *

"_...How nice to see you're awake now."_

"_Why? How long was I sleeping?"_

"_For a little while now, my love."_

_Derek found himself sitting in front of a white-cloaked table. In front of him were eloquently-placed utensils and surprisingly elegant tea and snacks. However, the surgeon wasn't particularly hungry at that moment. _

_In front of him sat a black haired man with dark mustard coloured eyes and a devious smirk. He wore a black tuxedo and a white shirt; quite the opposite of Derek's clothing which consisted of a white jacket, black shirt, and pants. _

_For some reason, Derek hadn't been expecting him, but someone else. A particular blonde-haired girl came to mind, but that was all. At the same time, he never thought of himself as being on the other side of the fence such as so. 'My love'... he had trouble believing it himself. _

"_Who... are you?" Derek asked hesitantly. _

"_Before you ask that, you need to ask yourself 'Who am I?'" Derek groaned slightly underneath his breath. The guy was a philosopher. "Once you have that figured out, you will be able to know who I am exactly." the mysterious man said cryptically. _

_Derek thought back into his blank past._

_A car crash that devastated millions.  
A man about his age.  
A bottle of wine and a picture.  
The ability to save lives.  
A battle the end the war. _

"_...You're Daemon, huh?" Derek murmured once he realized the answer. "You're me... but you're not me."_

"_That's correct." Daemon stated flatly. "And so I ask... who are you?"_

_Once the surgeon figured out who stood before him, somehow everything seemed to click before him. He had this all figured out. "That's why you came here. That's why you brought me here, isn't it?" Derek's tone was escalating with every word, dreading the ultimate conclusion that came to mind. "You came here to..."_

"_Derek Stiles is dead, my love." Daemon said in a voice that panged with ironic kindness; the only kindness Derek figured he'd be seeing anytime soon. "And even if he were somehow alive, he would still be the pathetic surgeon who wasn't able to perform a routine operation."_

_Derek flinched. The words seemed to smack him hard across the face like a brutal slap. His heart felt as though it were twisting in his chest, but the only thing he could do was either look down at his food or listen to Daemon. _

"_The world would view him as a false prophet if he were to come back." Daemon continued. His voice shifted down to one of mockery and sarcasm. "'Why did he side with the enemy?' the world would ask. The conclusion they would come up with is 'Because he's greedy and only after rank and power.' Society doesn't need a corrupt surgeon like that and they will cast you aside like trash on the road."_

_Derek winced at the harsh words because he felt them to be true. The tightening in his chest turned to sheer pain and it was a struggle for him to endure. _

"_However, I can help you." Daemon went on. "I can still grant you the Healing Touch. I can still help you save those you care about. I am worthy and won't be cast out like the former cast of your legend. I can save everyone from the brink of death..._

_...Even you."_

"_Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" Derek growled. Suddenly, he felt it; a sudden shock had gone through his system while an icy cold feeling began to scrape at the inside of his head. He doubled over onto the ground and curled up into a fetal position. _

"_If you didn't realize, you're in the river Styx right now." Daemon stated. "And I'm the only one who can save you from the wrong side."_

"_But if I accept you, my friends..."_

"_What friends?" Daemon stood up and gave Derek a brutal kick in the chest. Derek could only groan as the pain seemed to affect more than his outer body. It was almost as though it were a kick to his actual heart. "Friends, bah! You have none! But... I could be your companion. I _want _to be your only companion. We can live the rest of our lives alone in a blissful eternity, my love!" He screamed out that last word into the surgeon's ear. _

_Derek's glasses slipped off his face and he began to fade away.  
He had suddenly stopped breathing. _

_Daemon bent down onto the ground, a twisted smile on his face.  
He gave Derek's corpse a hug and stroked his hair lightly. _

"_Make your decision carefully, lovey."_

_Daemon gave him a light kiss and remained still to allow his warmth enter the quickly chilling body of the other._

* * *

Everything went dark.  
A brilliant silver-blue flame erupted within the minds of the two surgeons.

The light of the last remaining speck of hope carved its path in an instant and the two were overwhelmed with a sense of confidence and power. It was as though a wave of serenity had washed through the river of calm and bathed them with the last piece they needed to conquer their foe.

"We won't let you die!" Adel and Timothy cried out simultaneously. At the final word, their godlike abilities kicked in and all time froze as the combination of their powers filled the room with a static atmosphere. Their scenario was adorned with sudden silence and the panic that had plagued their minds dispersed.

The two surgeons worked together as though they were one person. They didn't need to speak to one another; they knew what the other would intend to do and what they wanted to accomplish three seconds before the actual person did. Adel and Timothy glanced at the door where Sidney stood frozen in his spot with the new defibrillator ready.

"Resume!" Adel cried out. Using Timothy's focus ability, he managed to unfreeze time for Sidney specifically and allowed him to deliver the defibrillator before he was forced to freeze the flow of time around him once more. Timothy noticed that as a result of restoring time in one area, Derek's vitals dropped by ten. He injected some of the stabilizer they recovered from Tyler to restore most of it while Adel placed the two pads onto Derek's chest.

"Clear!" Timothy yelled as loud as he could despite the silent atmosphere. His voice carried through the thick air as he pressed to button, allowing for the special shock to surge through the wires and pound into Derek's chest. The brown-haired patient's corpse jumped up as a result, but his heart's actions still remained static. Adel cursed under his breath before signalling to Timothy to turn it up.

"300! Clear!"  
Nothing.

"Let's try again!"  
Still nothing.

"Dr. Grey—!"

"R-right!"

Timothy returned to his place after Adel had reminded him of the bizarre aneurysm about to burst. Adel took hold of his partner's focus ability once more to restore Angie's movements in this time, causing Derek's vitals to plummet once more, this time by twelve.

"A-Adel!" Angie cried out in surprise. "Wh-what's happening?"

"Now's not the time to explain, Nurse Thompson!" Adel responded harshly to the blonde assistant. "Help me jumpstart Dr. Stiles' heart this instant!"

Angie had no time to take in what was going on around her and simply did what the surgeon told her to. She noticed that the defibrillator was already fully charged at 300 volts and was ready. "300, Adel!" Adel nodded at her, signalling his readiness. "Clear!"

Derek's body jumped and they could swear that they could smell something burning.  
But nothing happened.

Angie looked to the monitor and saw that her ex-partner's vitals had dropped significantly since she remembered. She immediately grabbed the stabilizer and injected a few doses. However, it didn't do much effect and only managed to raise it up to about half the amount Derek had lost in the last five minutes.

"He either has toxicosis or he is injured to the point where he is unable to recover fast enough." Angie sighed exasperatedly. "H-he doesn't h-have much time, Adel!" She began to choke on tears that abruptly began to form, and if it weren't for Adel punching her on the shoulder in order to snap her out of it, she would have run out of the room and burst into tears.

"N-now is not the time!" It had been about ten minutes since the initial start-up of their combined Healing Touches and Adel and Timothy were finally beginning to feel the toll of using this hidden power of theirs. He acknowledged how Angie was moving back to the defibrillator controls, but he noticed that Evdaimonia was still in the middle of Derek's heart; simply watching them with its metaphorical beady black eyes.

"I don't think we can revive him as long as this GUILT strand has a grip on his heart." Adel declared. "I mean, back when it was pulsing, the heart's movements and fibrillation was in sync. I believe that somehow, it can control Derek's pulse and if it remains frozen like that, it's no wonder that we can't start Derek's heart back up."

"B-but how do you expect to be rid of it?" Angie exclaimed.

"—Right Dr. Grey!" Adel seemed as though he didn't hear a word Angie had said and moved around the table to where Timothy was hastily working on the bulge which happened to be the last portion of the memory lock.

Angie, under normal circumstances, would have probably felt offended by this action, but like Adel has stated countless times in this eternally frozen time, now is not the time for that. She decided that it would be best to keep an eye on Evdaimonia for now; in case it somehow broke through its time freeze and wreak even more havoc than it already has. She just tried her best to inject as much stabilizer as she could; the nurse soon noticed that they didn't have much left.

"Dr. Tulba, I need you to hold the bulge carefully with forceps." Timothy commanded. "Make sure to have a steady hand; if you rip it out, it will cause instant death; I'm sure."

"Understood!" Adel grabbed the forceps off the tray and, like a competent child undergoing a game of 'Operation', he gripped the forceps and moved it slowly towards the bulge while paying good attention to how wide the forceps were. Eventually, he was sure that he had a perpetual grip on the bulge and nodded at Timothy.

The other surgeon had the scalpel in hand and began to excise it. Despite Adel's intentions to try and make it easier for him to cut the bulge free from Derek's brain by moving his arm out of the way, it couldn't be helped because he realized that if he moved even slightly, with the bulge exposed to this much pressure, it could very well explode or rip away and all of this time spent trying to save their mentor would be for naught.

Timothy used the scalpel as though he were an artist with a well-sharpened pencil; his touches on the flesh-like membrane that formed around the bulge were light, but effortful. He made sure to take his time and not screw up; using gentle strokes was what was needed to excise this monstrosity into oblivion.

Getting around Adel's arm was the hardest part. Timothy had tried to avoid that obstruction the entire time it took to cut around the bulge, but it was inevitable that he would have to somehow deal with it. He did his best to angle the scalpel properly so it fit underneath Adel's arm, but still provided him with the necessary amount of finesse needed. He made careful strokes.

Up, down.  
Up, down.  
Up, down.

"A-almost done..." Timothy murmured as sweat fell off his brown and onto his arm. He could see Adel visibly struggling to maintain his posture; his arm was now sore after holding it still like this for an extended period of time and he was clenching his teeth as a way to distract himself from the pain.

"Dr. Tulba!" Angie suddenly screamed out in fear.

In surprise, Timothy's arm jerked upward, knocking Adel's arm up as well. The scalpel scraped the bulge free fortunately and Derek's brain was now safe.

However...

"The bulge!" Adel yelled as he watched it fly out of the grip of his forceps and into the air. Angie screeched in fear as it flew over Derek and towards the door where Victor stood, still frozen in time and unable to do anything about the flying projectile.

"If that makes contact, he might get infected!" Timothy thought quickly. His mind raced as fast as his legs as he leaped in order to try and smack it away.

But it was no use.  
He was simply too far away.

The motion of the bulge seemed to suddenly dip into slow motion due to the Healing Touches still active, but it still went its course and no one could do anything to stop it.

Then...

"Hehe, nice try idiots, but you're not killing me that easily."

In his hand was a lighter and the bulge was burnt to a crisp. Any harmful vapours it could potentially form vanished into thin air. Victor then placed the lighter back into his pocket and smirked.

"So you unfroze me." Victor analyzed. "But Stiles' vitals... how are they?" His brilliant mind managed to work the kinks of the situation out in an instant and even though this was an amazing revelation, he was still unimpressed; on the outside, anyway.

"I was forced to use the remaining stabilizer we had." Angie informed the four of them. "His vitals are sitting in the low twenties and I'm afraid that's the highest they can go..." She finished injecting the remainder of the medicine into Derek's skin. "We're out of stabilizer."

This is it.  
A race against time.

Timothy closed up Derek's brain while Angie and Adel smudged antibiotic gel around Evdaimonia. Their powers were becoming weaker and their influence on the GUILT strand was waning. It was somehow breaking free. The antibiotic gel was to keep it still along with keeping the vitals up as Timothy sutured the flaps closed and did the necessary procedures to concluding a brain surgery.

"It's all up to you now, Adel." he sighed as soon as he finished up. Adel nodded and the two released their Healing Touches.

Timothy collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion and Victor picked him up off the ground around the dazed crowd which began to move normally around the door once more. They were all aware of what had happened the past five minutes which seemed more like an hour to Adel and Timothy. The movements of the four of them went like a blur. Victor could get no one to assist him until Sidney snapped out of his dazed state and brought a gurney over to put the tired surgeon on. He then remained in the room to supervise the remainder of the operation.

Evdaimonia was on its last legs.  
All of its moves have been countered and it had nothing else to do but attempt to make Derek's vitals drop enough to kill him. Angie and Adel ran out of antibiotic gel, so they too were backed in a corner when it came to vitals.

"Bring it, bitch." Adel hissed. Angie handed him the laser and Adel aimed it carefully at Evdaimonia. Even one instant where the laser were to miss its target would most likely result in a failure and kill Derek Stiles, sending him off to the afterlife for real this time.

A laceration? Adel stitched it up.  
"Vitals are at 19, Adel!"

Another vital-draining tumour, huh? Adel drained it.  
He watched the cardiogram's numbers dip; vitals slipped down to 15.

Three more lacerations AND a tumour. Evdaimonia humours him. Adel fixed the problems up before shooting it with more of the scalar laser.  
Down to single digits now: 7.

"Aww, screw this!" Victor groaned as he returned. He stepped up and pulled out his lighter once more before simply burning the greatly weakened Evdaimonia to a crisp. There was a silent screech emitting from the devilish creature before it finally ceased to exist. Adel and Angie sighed in relief.

"Are you sure it was safe to do that; incinerating it with the lighter, I mean." Angie asked sceptically.

"Of course not." Victor smirked. "Just that the strand seemed to have developed some form of immunity to the scalar laser and it would have taken you much longer to be rid of it than for Stiles' vitals to drop to zero." He flipped the cap over his lighter and stuffed it in his back pocket. "I wasn't afraid of burning him, if that's what you were asking; I have specifically structured the flame to be almost child-safe; it's a weaker fire and it may take more time for the object to catch fire from this lighter, but that GUILT was weakened enough that it was worth a shot."

"...So that was a lucky guess...?"

"...Yeah, pretty much."

Adel and Angie finally began to breathe normally again with Mira picking up a fresh pack of sutures from her tray.

"Dr. Tulba, if you will." She hinted as her finger coursed through the pack of antibiotic gel to get the last remains and rub it onto Derek's scalp in order to raise his vitals above 5, at least. Adel thanked the Asian nurse with a smile as he received the needle and string. He began to then stitch up the chest area when he realized something really important.

He looked at the vitals.  
They were still falling.

Why?  
Simply this.

They had forgotten to resuscitate Derek's heart.

Sheer horror managed to take form in Adel's face. His eyes widened as his hands began to move at a much faster pace to stitch up the cavity. "A-Angie! The d-defibrillator!" he shouted as his fingers scrambled to find some antibiotic gel in order to finish the suturing job.

Angie picked up on what they had missed and ran over to the machine. She rubbed some of the conducting gel onto the pads before placing them on the appropriate spots on Derek's chest. She waited for a moment to allow Adel some time to get rid of the metal needle and for the machine to finish charging.

"300! Clear!"  
Derek's body seemed to jump up, but his heart did not stir. Now that she thought about it, it was about half an hour into cardiac arrest. Adel had though that by removing Evdaimonia, it would be enough, but...

...did the GUILT already kill him?

Angie shook the thought out of her mind as Adel commanded her to raise the voltage up to maximum. There's no way that's true. Derek's vitals were somehow still there; sitting on the number just below 5. As long as there was still something, he was still alive and hanging on.

"Ready for this? Voltage has been raised up to 360! Clear!"

The lines on the cardiogram spiked, but then remained static afterwards. Adel glanced at the EKG and noticed that the vitals had plummeted to one.

"Damn, this is like some corny medical drama...!" he hissed underneath his breath; he was panicking for sure, but at the same time trying to maintain his composure. "Alright Nurse Thompson, we can never give up! It's now or never!"

"R-right!" Her fist curled slightly and she noticed that her hands had become lubricated with sweat; she was truly nervous. Hands shaking over the button, she gulped from the tension. "360, one last time!" she declared. "C-clear!"

She pressed the button. The electricity burst out of their cage and through the wires with a vengeance as they made it to the pads and were released into Derek's chest. A pounding noise was created; one that seemed to echo through that OR for all eternity.

There was one final voice that was unheard through the sound of Adel literally whipping the blaring EKG to the side in a desperate fury and screaming at it to shut up and sheer horror of Angie's frantic crying.

"_...I have made my decision."_

* * *

A/N: I missed out on updating for so many months, and once I finish up the final chapter, I throw in a cliff-hanger at the end. I'm a cheap shot like that... but it can't be helped.

My excuse for my absence: laziness.  
Then I finished it (a couple of months ago... around the time I posted RFD).  
Then I went on my vacation for March Break (if you weren't aware, this took place around March).  
There, I got into an accident and broke my laptop. ".

Bye-bye files.

So I promised myself that this would be my top priority to finish; I mean, the story was ALMOST done! No need to postpone it any further, in my opinion. I really hope you enjoyed; this was a difficult chapter to write. =;3

Tiny secret between you and me: the only reason Adel forgot to revive Derek's heart is because I did too XD So I'm sure that little plot twist worked. =)

That blue link down there is your friend.  
See you all in the epilogue!


End file.
